Avril Haines Nominated to Be The Legal Adviser

John Bellinger
Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 7:21 PM
This evening, President Obama nominated Avril Haines to be the next Legal Adviser of the State Department. Avril currently serves Deputy Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council.   Avril served as Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs when I was Legal Adviser. If confirmed, Avril will be the first woman, and the first State Department lawyer in more than thirty years, to serve as Legal Adviser. This is a brilliant appointment. Congratulations, Avril.

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This evening, President Obama nominated Avril Haines to be the next Legal Adviser of the State Department. Avril currently serves Deputy Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council.   Avril served as Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs when I was Legal Adviser. If confirmed, Avril will be the first woman, and the first State Department lawyer in more than thirty years, to serve as Legal Adviser. This is a brilliant appointment. Congratulations, Avril.

John B. Bellinger III is a partner in the international and national security law practices at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. He is also Adjunct Senior Fellow in International and National Security Law at the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as The Legal Adviser for the Department of State from 2005–2009, as Senior Associate Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council at the White House from 2001–2005, and as Counsel for National Security Matters in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice from 1997–2001.

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