Legal Adviser of the Department of State


The Legal Adviser of the Department of State is a position within the United States Department of State. The legal adviser provides legal advice on all issues arising in the course of the department's activities.
The legal adviser heads the State Department's Office of the Legal Adviser. As such, the legal adviser has the rank of Assistant Secretary.

History

From 1870 to 1891, the examiner of claims had been the chief legal officer of the department. The solicitor, a Department of Justice employee, had functioned as the Department of State's chief legal officer from 1891 to 1931. Solicitors and examiners of claims were by statute officials of the Department of Justice.
The position of Legal Advisor was created by an Act of Congress on February 23, 1931. The first legal adviser was Green Hackworth, who served until 1946 and then became a judge on the International Court of Justice.

List of legal advisers of the Department of State

#NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident served under
1Green HackworthJuly 1, 1931March 1, 1946Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
2Charles H. FahyJune 19, 1946August 15, 1947Harry S. Truman
3Ernest A. GrossAugust 16, 1947March 3, 1949Harry S. Truman
4Adrian S. FisherJune 28, 1949January 27, 1953Harry S. Truman
5Herman PhlegerFebruary 2, 1953April 1, 1957Dwight D. Eisenhower
6Loftus E. Becker Sr.June 13, 1957August 15, 1959Dwight D. Eisenhower
7Eric H. HagerSeptember 9, 1959January 20, 1961Dwight D. Eisenhower
8Abram ChayesFebruary 6, 1961June 27, 1964John F. Kennedy
9Leonard C. MeekerMay 18, 1965July 13, 1969Lyndon B. Johnson
10John Reese StevensonJuly 14, 1969January 1, 1973Richard Nixon
11Carlyle E. MawNovember 27, 1973July 9, 1974Richard Nixon
12Monroe LeighJanuary 21, 1975January 20, 1977Gerald Ford
13Herbert J. HansellApril 8, 1977September 20, 1979Jimmy Carter
14Roberts Bishop OwenOctober 4, 1979February 16, 1981Jimmy Carter
15Davis Rowland RobinsonJuly 30, 1981February 27, 1985Ronald Reagan
16Abraham David SofaerJune 10, 1985June 15, 1990Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush
17Edwin D. WilliamsonSeptember 20, 1990January 20, 1993George H. W. Bush
18Conrad K. HarperMay 24, 1993June 30, 1996Bill Clinton
19David AndrewsSeptember 2, 1997April 25, 2000Bill Clinton
20William Howard Taft IVApril 16, 2001March 1, 2005George W. Bush
21John B. Bellinger IIIApril 6, 2005March 23, 2009George W. Bush, Barack Obama
-Joan E. Donoghue March 23, 2009June 25, 2009Barack Obama
22Harold Hongju KohJune 25, 2009January 22, 2013Barack Obama
-Mary McLeod January 23, 2013February 1, 2016Barack Obama
23Brian EganFebruary 2, 2016January 20, 2017Barack Obama
-Richard C. Visek January 20, 2017January 22, 2018Donald Trump
24Jennifer Gillian NewsteadJanuary 22, 2018May 31, 2019Donald Trump
-Marik String June 1, 2019January 20, 2021Donald Trump
-Richard C. Visek January 20, 2021September 24, 2024Joe Biden
25Margaret L. TaylorSeptember 24, 2024January 20, 2025Joe Biden
-Richard C. Visek January 20, 2025March 29, 2025Donald Trump
-Joshua Simmons March 29, 2025May 26, 2025Donald Trump
26Reed D. RubinsteinMay 26, 2025PresentDonald Trump