OLC
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Office of Legal Counsel |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Military |
OLC has two meanings. It stands for Office of Legal Counsel (US federal agency) or Oak leaf cluster (military award and decoration).
Meanings of OLC at a glance
| # | OLC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Office of Legal Counsel | Government & Politics › US Federal Agency |
| 2 | Oak leaf cluster | Military › Military Award and Decoration |
1. Office of Legal Counsel
Government & Politics · US Federal Agency Abbreviations
Justice Department office that gives authoritative legal advice to the President and executive agencies, including on whether proposed actions are constitutional. Its opinions bind the executive branch unless overruled by the Attorney General or the President.
Example: Agency lawyers asked OLC whether the statute allowed funds to be shifted between accounts.
It is headed by an Assistant Attorney General. OLC opinions from 1973 and 2000 concluded that a sitting president cannot be indicted, a position that shaped later special counsel investigations. Because many opinions are classified or unpublished, transparency groups regularly sue for their release.
2. Oak leaf cluster
Military · Military Award and Decoration Abbreviations
Small bronze or silver oak leaf device worn on a ribbon or medal to denote additional awards of the same decoration in the Army and Air Force. A single silver cluster is worn in place of five bronze ones.
Example: He holds the Bronze Star with two OLC, meaning three awards in total.
The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard use 5/16-inch gold and silver stars instead. Oak leaf clusters date to World War I. Writing "BSM w/ 1 OLC" on records means two awards of the Bronze Star.
Related abbreviations
More US federal agency abbreviations
- OCR – Office for Civil Rights
- ODNI – Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- OFAC – Office of Foreign Assets Control
- OIG – Office of Inspector General
- OMB – Office of Management and Budget
- ONDCP – Office of National Drug Control Policy
- OPM – U.S. Office of Personnel Management
- OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
See all 152 US federal agency abbreviations →