About Us

Who We Are

The Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel is a nonpartisan and nonpolitical office dedicated to delivering exceptional legislative drafting services to Members and Committees of the United States Senate. Our accomplished team shepherds clients through the entire legislative process, from the conceptualization of bills to their introduction, committee markups, and enactment into law. With a legacy of trust and neutrality tracing back to our founding in 1919, SLC remains committed to upholding the principles of attorney-client privilege and ethical responsibility, ensuring that every interaction is safeguarded with the utmost confidentiality. SLC attorneys draft legislation with a steadfast focus on producing clear and accessible legislative language and place paramount importance on organization, brevity, and consistency. Our unwavering commitment to confidentiality, coupled with our extensive history of serving Senators from all political backgrounds, has solidified our role as an indispensable partner in the legislative process.

Office Leadership

Elizabeth A. King

Elizabeth A. King joined SLC in February of 1990 and has served as Deputy Legislative Counsel since 2018. Liz provides expert legislative drafting services and counsel to Senate clients and plays a vital role in advising on administrative matters within the Office. Her responsibilities extend to chairing the Office Interview Committee and providing training in administrative law. Liz’s drafting expertise lies in diverse areas of Federal law, including workforce training, antipoverty initiatives, civil rights, disability rights, and Congressional accountability. Prior to joining SLC, Liz served as an Environmental Protection Specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency. She holds an A.B. in Political Science from Duke University and an M.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, and earned her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.

History and Charter

The Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel traces its roots back to the establishment of the Legislative Drafting Service in 1919, which aimed to enhance the clarity and coherence of legislative texts. This pivotal moment marked the onset of professional legislative drafting within the Senate, a response to the increasing need for specialized legal expertise in crafting legislation.

Originally, the Office primarily served Committees in their drafting endeavors. However, as the breadth of Federal law expanded and legislative processes grew more intricate, the Office’s role evolved. It began providing drafting services not only to Committees but also to individual Senators, showcasing its adaptability to the evolving legislative landscape. In 1924, the Office changed its name from Legislative Drafting Service to the Office of the Legislative Counsel, reflecting its growing role in serving the needs of the Senate. Indeed, throughout its century-long history, the Office has been instrumental in drafting significant legislation across all domains of Federal law.

Throughout its existence, the Office of the Legislative Counsel has maintained a steadfast commitment to nonpartisanship and impartiality. By statute, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate appoints the Legislative Counsel, emphasizing selection based solely on professional merit. This process underscores the Office’s dedication to impartiality and professionalism, ensuring a reliable and unbiased environment for legislative drafting.

In January of 2019, on the 100th anniversary of the Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Senator Grassley, remarked on the Senate floor that “the Office is well prepared to continue to provide the Senate and its committees and officers quality drafting service and sound legal advice with the spirit of quiet professionalism that has been the tradition of the Office throughout its history.”