Office of Intelligence Policy and Review

The Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR) is a staff agency within the United States Department of Justice.

This government agency handles all Justice Department requests for surveillance authorizations under the terms of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), advises the Attorney General and Intelligence Community on legal issues relating to national security and surveillance, and, according to the agency website, "coordinates" the views of the Intelligence Community regarding intelligence legislation. The staff counsel has often testified before Congress on behalf of Clinton and Bush administration intelligence policies, and most recently has defended the USA PATRIOT Act before the House Judiciary Committee.

Since 2002 the agency counsel has been James A. Baker, a career government attorney who began work with the OIPR in 1996. He succeeded Frances Townsend when she was appointed to a political post with the National Security Council.

Under recently passed legislation, OIPR will cease to be an independent office within the Department of Justice and will move to the Department's new National Security Division under the control of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

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