The general counsel of the Department of Defense is the chief legal officer of the Department of Defense (DoD), advising both the secretary and deputy secretary on all legal matters and services, and providing legal advice to Office of the Secretary of Defense organizations and, as appropriate, other DOD components.
The general counsel develops the department's legislative program and coordinates DoD positions on legislation and executive orders; coordinates the appeals process for denied FOIA requests; oversees the performance and standards of DoD attorneys; establishes policy on general legal issues and determines the DoD position on specific legal problems; maintains repository for all international agreements coordinated, negotiated, or concluded by DoD personnel; and is "dual-hatted" as director of the Defense Legal Services Agency.
This position was established by Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1953 and by Defense Directive 5145.1, signed 24 August 1953. The position derived its responsibilities from one of the original three special assistants to the secretary (established in 1947) and the assistant secretary of defense (legal and legislative affairs) (established in 1949).
The Standards of Conduct Office (SOCO) is an element of the Defense Legal Services Agency within the Office of General Counsel.Department of Defense Ethics & Compliance: About SOCO, accessed on 16 October 2025
Office holders + General counsels of the Department of Defense Image Name Tenure SecDef(s) served under President(s) served under H. Struve Hensel August 17, 1953 – March 4, 1954 Charles Erwin Wilson Dwight Eisenhower Wilber M. Brucker April 23, 1954 – July 20, 1955 Mansfield D. Sprague October 6, 1955 – February 27, 1957 Robert Dechert February 28, 1957 – July 15, 1959 Charles Erwin WilsonNeil H. McElroy J. Vincent Burke Jr. September 14, 1959 – January 20, 1961 Neil H. McElroyThomas S. Gates Cyrus Vance January 29, 1961 – June 30, 1962 Robert S. McNamara John F. Kennedy John McNaughton July 5, 1962 – June 25, 1964 John F. KennedyLyndon B. Johnson Leonard Niederlehner July 1, 1964 – September 19, 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson Paul Warnke October 3, 1966 – July 31, 1967 Leonard Niederlehner August 1, 1967 – August 20, 1970 Robert S. McNamaraClark CliffordMelvin Laird Lyndon B. JohnsonRichard Nixon J. Fred Buzhardt August 20, 1970 – January 4, 1974 Melvin LairdElliot RichardsonJames R. Schlesinger Richard Nixon Leonard Niederlehner May 22, 1973 – March 13, 1974 James R. Schlesinger Martin Richard Hoffmann March 14, 1974 – August 5, 1975 Richard NixonGerald Ford Leonard Niederlehner August 6, 1975 – January 1, 1976 James R. SchlesingerDonald Rumsfeld Gerald Ford Richard A. Wiley January 2, 1976 – January 15, 1977 Donald Rumsfeld Deanne C. Siemer April 28, 1977 – October 15, 1979 Harold Brown Jimmy Carter Leonard Niederlehner October 15, 1979 – February 1, 1980 Togo D. West Jr. February 1, 1980 – January 20, 1981 Leonard Niederlehner January 20, 1981 – April 1, 1981 Caspar Weinberger Ronald Reagan William Howard Taft IV April 2, 1981 – May 2, 1984 Chapman B. Cox May 3, 1984 – December 16, 1985 Henry L. Garrett III February 5, 1986 – August 6, 1987 Leonard Niederlehner August 7, 1987 – October 25, 1987 Kathleen A. Buck October 26, 1987 – December 30, 1989 Caspar WeinbergerFrank CarlucciWilliam Howard Taft IVDick Cheney Ronald ReaganGeorge H. W. Bush Terrence O'Donnell October 30, 1989 – March 6, 1992 Dick Cheney George H. W. Bush C. Paul Beach Jr. March 7, 1992 – August 11, 1992 David Addington August 12, 1992 – January 20, 1993 John H. McNeil January 20, 1993 – May 5, 1993 Les Aspin Bill Clinton Jamie Gorelick May 5, 1993 – March 17, 1994 Lee AspinWilliam Perry Stephen W. Preston March 28, 1994 – September 28, 1994 William Perry Judith A. Miller September 29, 1994 – November 7, 1999 William PerryWilliam Cohen Douglas A. Dworkin November 7, 1999 – June 14, 2000 (Acting)June 14, 2000 – January 19, 2001 William Cohen William J. Haynes II May 24, 2001 – February 26, 2008 Donald RumsfeldRobert Gates George W. Bush Jeh Johnson February 10, 2009 – December 31, 2012 Robert GatesLeon Panetta Barack Obama Robert S. Taylor January 1, 2013 – October 25, 2013 Leon PanettaChuck Hagel Stephen W. Preston October 25, 2013 – June 1, 2015 Chuck HagelAshton CarterRobert S. Taylor June 1, 2015 – June 14, 2016Ashton Carter Jennifer M. O'Connor June 14, 2016 – January, 20 2017 Ashton Carter William S. Castle (Acting) August 2017 – August 20, 2018United States Department of Defense James MattisDonald Trump Paul C. Ney Jr. August 20, 2018 – January 20, 2021James MattisMark EsperChristopher C. Miller (acting) Beth George January 20, 2021 – August 2, 2021 David Norquist (acting)Lloyd Austin Joe Biden Caroline Krass August 2, 2021 – January 20, 2025 Lloyd Austin Charles L. Young III (acting) January 20, 2025 – July 31, 2025 Pete Hegseth Donald Trump Earl G. Matthews July 31, 2025 – Present
See also General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force General Counsel of the Army General Counsel of the Navy
References
External links Official website