The Office of Legal Counsel is a unit within the U.S. Department of Justice that functions as the legal advisor to the President and executive branch agencies. Its formal opinions carry the force of law within the executive branch — agencies are expected to follow them. The OLC has issued opinions on some of the most consequential legal questions in modern U.S. history, including presidential war powers, surveillance authority, and the legality of specific agency actions. Because many opinions are kept confidential, the OLC exercises significant power with limited public oversight.
In the CFPB case, the OLC issued a confidential opinion in 2025 that provided legal cover for the administration's attempt to shut down the bureau, making the OLC's role and the secrecy of its opinions central to understanding who decided the CFPB's fate and how.
In the CFPB case, the OLC issued a confidential opinion in 2025 that provided legal cover for the administration's attempt to shut down the bureau, making the OLC's role and the secrecy of its opinions central to understanding who decided the CFPB's fate and how.