Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73
§288 Office of Senate Legal Counsel
Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 9D— - OFFICE OF SENATE LEGAL COUNSEL › § 288
Summary
Creates an Office of Senate Legal Counsel inside the Senate, led by a Senate Legal Counsel and a Deputy Counsel. The President pro tempore appoints both from names given by the Senate majority and minority leaders. Appointments must be approved by a Senate resolution and made regardless of party. Each must be a lawyer and a member of a State or District of Columbia bar, and must not hold any other job while serving. The Deputy fills in as Acting Counsel if the Counsel is absent, disabled, or the job is vacant. Each appointment lasts until the end of the Congress after the Congress in which they were appointed. The Senate can remove them by resolution. The first Counsel and Deputy had to start within 90 days after January 3, 1979. After that, new appointments must begin within 30 days after the next Congress session starts or within 60 days after a vacancy. The Counsel hires Assistant Counsels and other staff as money allows, sets their duties, and can remove them. Assistants must also be lawyers and bar members and must not hold other jobs. Office staff are treated like Senate employees for pay and benefits (except the Counsel and Deputy pay rates). The Counsel may hire temporary consultants, including outside lawyers, for up to one year in the same way a Senate committee can. The Counsel may make rules for the office and may delegate most tasks, but not duties required under section 288e(b). Communications between the Counsel, office staff, and any Senator, officer, or Senate employee are kept as attorney‑client communications.
Full Legal Text
Title 2, §288
The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)There is established, as an office of the Senate, the Office of Senate Legal Counsel (hereinafter referred to as the “Office”), which shall be headed by a Senate Legal Counsel (hereinafter referred to as the “Counsel”); and there shall be a Deputy Senate Legal Counsel (hereinafter referred to as the “Deputy Counsel”) who shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the Counsel and who, during any absence, disability, or vacancy in the position of the Counsel, shall serve as Acting Senate Legal Counsel.
(2)The Counsel and the Deputy Counsel each shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate from among recommendations submitted by the majority and minority leaders of the Senate. Any appointment made under this paragraph shall be made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person appointed as Counsel or Deputy Counsel shall be learned in the law, a member of the bar of a State or the District of Columbia, and shall not engage in any other business, vocation, or employment during the term of such appointment.
(3)(A)Any appointment made under paragraph (2) shall become effective upon approval by resolution of the Senate. The Counsel and the Deputy Counsel shall each be appointed for a term of service which shall expire at the end of the Congress following the Congress during which the Counsel or Deputy Counsel, respectively, is appointed except that the Senate may, by resolution, remove either the Counsel or the Deputy Counsel prior to the termination of any term of service. The Counsel and the Deputy Counsel may be reappointed at the termination of any term of service.
(B)The first Counsel and the first Deputy Counsel shall be appointed, approved, and begin service within ninety days after January 3, 1979, and thereafter the Counsel and Deputy Counsel shall be appointed, approved, and begin service within thirty days after the beginning of the session of the Congress immediately following the termination of a Counsel’s or Deputy Counsel’s term of service or within sixty days after a vacancy occurs in either position.
(b)(1)The Counsel shall select and fix the compensation of such Assistant Senate Legal Counsels (hereinafter referred to as “Assistant Counsels”) and of such other personnel, within the limits of available funds, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may prescribe the duties and responsibilities of such personnel. Any selection made under this paragraph shall be made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any individual selected as an Assistant Counsel shall be learned in the law, a member of the bar of a State or the District of Columbia, and shall not engage in any other business, vocation, or employment during his term of service. The Counsel may remove any individual appointed under this paragraph.
(2)For purposes of pay (other than the rate of pay of the Counsel and Deputy Counsel) and employment benefits, right, and privileges, all personnel of the Office shall be treated as employees of the Senate.
(c)In carrying out the functions of the Office, the Counsel may procure the temporary (not to exceed one year) or intermittent services of individual consultants (including outside counsel), or organizations thereof, in the same manner and under the same conditions as a standing committee of the Senate may procure such services under section 4301(i) of this title.
(d)The Counsel may establish such policies and procedures as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(e)The counsel 11 So in original. Probably should be capitalized. may delegate authority for the performance of any function imposed by this chapter except any function imposed upon the Counsel under section 288e(b) of this title.
(f)The Counsel and other employees of the Office shall maintain the attorney-client relationship with respect to all communications between them and any Member, officer, or employee of the Senate.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1), (d), and (e), was in the original “this title”, meaning title VII of Pub. L. 95–521, which enacted this chapter, section 5504 of this title, and section 1364 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and amended section 3210, 3216, and 3219 of Title 39, Postal Service. For complete classification of title VII to the Code, see Tables.
Amendments
2019—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 116–94, § 212(a)(3)(I)(i), struck out par. (4) which read as follows: “The Counsel shall receive compensation at a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5. The Deputy Counsel shall receive compensation at a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5.” Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–94, § 212(a)(3)(I)(ii), struck out “The compensation fixed for each Assistant Counsel shall not be in excess of a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5.” before “Any selection”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2019 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–94 effective on the later of the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2020, or the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Dec. 20, 2019, see section 212(c) of Pub. L. 116–94, set out as a note under section 282b of this title.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 95–521, title VII, § 717, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1885, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter, section 5504 of this title, section 1364 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, amending section 3210, 3216, and 3219 of Title 39, Postal Service, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section] shall take effect on January 3, 1979.” Separability Pub. L. 95–521, title VII, § 715, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1884, provided that: “If any part of this title or any amendment made by this title [enacting this chapter, section 5504 of this title, section 1364 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, amending section 3210, 3216, and 3219 of Title 39, Postal Service, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section] is held invalid, the remainder of the title and any amendment made by this title shall not be affected thereby. If any provision of any part of this title or of any amendment made by this title, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the provisions of other parts and of any amendment made by this title and their application to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.” Increases in CompensationIncreases in compensation for Senate officers and employees under authority of Federal Pay Comparability Act of 1970 (Pub. L. 91–656), see Salary Directives of President pro tempore of the Senate, set out as notes under section 4571 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
2 U.S.C. § 288
Title 2 — The Congress
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73