The Office of Legal Policy (OLP) is a senior management office within the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...
, which describes itself as the "focal point for the development and coordination of Departmental policy." In addition to rendering legal advice to the
United States Attorney General
The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...
and subordinate offices within the Justice Department, it serves as a nexus where major policy decisions within the department can be developed, coordinated, and implemented. The Office is currently led by assistant attorney general
Aaron Reitz.
History
The Office of Legal Policy (OLP) was established by Attorney General
William French Smith in 1981 as the principal department office to plan, develop, and coordinate the implementation of major policy initiatives of high priority to the department and to the Administration, and to assist the President and the Attorney General in the Administration's judicial selection process for
Article III judges
Federal tribunals in the United States are those tribunals established by the federal government of the United States for the purpose of resolving disputes involving or arising under federal laws, including questions about the constitutionality ...
. OLP devoted considerable efforts to the areas of criminal and civil justice reform, as had some of its predecessor policy offices (among them, the Office of Criminal Justice, the Office of Policy and Planning, and the Office for Improvements in the Administration of Justice). OLP also supervised the work of the Office of Information and Privacy (OIP) with respect to
Freedom of Information and
Privacy Act matters.
In 1989, the office was renamed as the Office of Policy Development (OPD), and OIP was established as a separate Department component. For a one-year period, OPD was organized as a component of the newly created Office of Policy and Communications, together with the Office of Public Affairs and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In 1993, that structure was discontinued and OPD was established again as an independent component.
In May 2001, Attorney General
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, Lobbying, lobbyist, and former politician who served as the 79th United States attorney general under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. A Republican Party (United States), R ...
restored the name of the office as the Office of Legal Policy and confirmed its principal policy role within the department.
On 21 December 2024, president-elect Donald Trump announced Aaron Reitz, Chief of Staff to Senator Ted Cruz, would lead the office.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Office Of Legal Policy
United States Department of Justice agencies