General Counsel of the Navy


The general counsel of the Department of the Navy is the senior civilian lawyer in the U.S. Department of the Navy and is the senior legal adviser to the [United States United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy|secretary of the navy]. The Office of the General Counsel of the Navy provides legal advice to the secretary, the under secretary and the various assistant secretaries and their staffs. The general counsel is the third highest-ranking civilian office in the Department of the Navy, behind the Secretary and Under Secretary of the Navy.
The general counsel maintains a close working relationship with the judge advocate general, the senior uniformed lawyer in the Department of the Navy who performs statutory duties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The general counsel manages nearly 650 attorneys worldwide, helps to oversee the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and advises senior Navy and Marine Corps officials on litigation, acquisition, contractual, fiscal, environmental, property, personnel, legislative, ethics, and intelligence law issues.
WWW ogc.navy.mil

List of General counsels of the navy, 1941—present

The first general counsel of the navy was appointed in 1941. From 1862 to 1941, essentially the same function was provided by the Solicitor General of the Navy.
ImageNameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served under
H. Struve HenselJuly 10, 1941January 30, 1945Franklin D. RooseveltFrank Knox
James Forrestal
W. John KenneyFebruary 5, 1945April 2, 1945Franklin D. RooseveltJames Forrestal
Patrick H. HodgsonApril 3, 1945October 31, 1945Franklin D. RooseveltJames Forrestal
J. Henry NealeNovember 1, 1945July 26, 1946Harry S. TrumanJames Forrestal
William WempleJuly 27, 1946August 23, 1946Harry S. TrumanJames Forrestal
James T. Hill, Jr.August 24, 1946May 15, 1947Harry S. TrumanJames Forrestal
Hudson B. CoxMay 16, 1947April 29, 1949Harry S. TrumanJames Forrestal
John L. Sullivan
Harold B. GrossApril 30, 1949August 30, 1953Harry S. TrumanFrancis P. Matthews
Dan A. Kimball
Robert B. Anderson
F. Trowbridge vom BaurDecember 15, 1953April 30, 1960Dwight D. EisenhowerRobert B. Anderson
Charles Thomas
Thomas S. Gates, Jr.
William B. Franke
Meritt H. Steger
May 2, 1960		May 31, 1971Dwight D. EisenhowerWilliam B. Franke
John Connally
Fred Korth
Paul Nitze
Paul Robert Ignatius
John Chafee
Hart T. Mankin
June 7, 1971		July 21, 1973Richard NixonJohn Chafee
John Warner
E. Grey LewisAugust 1, 1973April 21, 1977Richard NixonJohn Warner
J. William Middendorf
Togo D. West, Jr.April 22, 1977January 13, 1979Jimmy CarterW. Graham Claytor, Jr.
Coleman HicksMay 25, 1979January 13, 1981Jimmy CarterEdward Hidalgo
Hugh O'Neill June 1981August 24, 1981Ronald ReaganJohn Lehman
Walter T. Skallerup, Jr.August 24, 1981July 29, 1987Ronald ReaganJohn Lehman
Harvey J. Wilcox July 29, 1987November 21, 1988Ronald ReaganJim Webb
William L. Ball
Lawrence L. LamadeNovember 22, 1988November 21, 1989Ronald ReaganWilliam L. Ball
Henry L. Garrett III
Craig S. KingNovember 22, 1989January 20, 1993George H. W. BushHenry L. Garrett III
Sean O'Keefe
Steven S. HonigmanJune 1, 1993March 15, 1998Bill ClintonJohn Howard Dalton
Eugene Angrist March 15, 1998September 28, 1998Bill ClintonJohn Howard Dalton
Stephen W. PrestonSeptember 28, 1998November 17, 2000Bill ClintonRichard Danzig
John E. Sparks November 17, 2000December 12, 2000Bill ClintonRichard Danzig
William Molzahn December 12, 2000July 25, 2001Bill Clinton
George W. Bush		Richard Danzig
Alberto J. MoraJuly 25, 2001January 1, 2006George W. BushGordon R. England
Paul C. Ney, Jr. January 2, 2006September 25, 2006George W. BushDonald C. Winter
Frank JimenezSeptember 25, 2006April 30, 2009George W. BushDonald C. Winter
Anne M. Brennan April 30, 2009March 11, 2010Barack ObamaRay Mabus
Paul L. Oostburg SanzMarch 12, 2010January 20, 2017Barack ObamaRay Mabus
Anne M. Brennan January 20, 2017March 6, 2019Donald J TrumpRichard V. Spencer
Garrett L. Ressing March 7, 2019January 5, 2020Donald J TrumpRichard V. Spencer
Thomas B. Modly
Robert SanderJanuary 6, 2020January 20, 2021Donald J TrumpThomas B. Modly
Garrett L. Ressing January 20, 2021February 16, 2022Joe BidenThomas Harker
Carlos Del Toro
Sean CoffeyFebruary 16, 2022January 20, 2025Joe BidenCarlos Del Toro
Catherine L. Kessmeier January 20, 2025July 21, 2025Donald TrumpTerence G. Emmert
John Phelan
Tim Dill July 21, 2025December 19, 2025Donald TrumpJohn Phelan
David Denton Jr.December 19, 2025PresentDonald TrumpJohn Phelan