Reading Room Document
Officers of the United States Within the Meaning of the Appointments Clause
A position to which is delegated by legal authority a portion of the sovereign powers of the federal government and that is "continuing" is a federal office subject to the Constitution's Appointments Clause. A person who would hold such a position must be properly made an "Officer[] of the United States" by being appointed pursuant to the procedures specified in the Appointments Clause. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/451191/download.
The OLC's Opinions
Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit