As a functional office Associate Administrator, the General Counsel serves in an advisory capacity to the Administrator, and works with Enterprise Associate Administrators and Center Directors to ensure that Agency activities are conducted in accordance with all statutory and regulatory requirements.

The Office of the General Counsel also serves as Washington, DC, litigation counsel, provides litigation expertise to the Agency, and acts as the Agency representative before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Office also provides expert advice, oversight and overflow support to Centers, and provides legal services to all the offices at Headquarters.

The Office of the General Counsel is organized into a front office, one legal program and four legal practice groups:

* Acquisition Integrity Program -- The Acquisition Integrity Program (AIP) has primary responsibility for legal issues regarding procurement fraud and other related irregularities, remedies coordination, and suspension and debarment. The Program is responsible for preventing, detecting, and deterring procurement fraud through education and training of the NASA workforce as well as for supporting the investigation and prosecution of fraud and corruption related to the acquisition process.

* Commercial & Intellectual Property -- This Practice Group has primary responsibility for intellectual property issues in domestic and international agreements, technical data issues, patent and copyright licensing, and the distribution of computer software, as well as non-procurement (Space Act) agreements with commercial and international entities.

* Contracts & Procurement -- This Practice Group has primary responsibility for contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements.

* General Law -- This Practice Group has primary responsibility for areas such as ethics, personnel, fiscal, environmental, and safety and security law, as well as legislation and other areas not specifically assigned to one of the other divisions.

* International Law -- This Practice Group has primary responsibility over legal issues regarding export control, Freedom of Information Act appeals, and general matters of international law.