The Legal Counsel Office provides essential legal support to the Yap State Legislature. Its primary functions include:

Legislative Drafting

• Drafting bills, resolutions, and amendments as requested by legislators
• Ensuring proposed legislation is properly structured and legally sound
• Reviewing and refining legislative language for clarity and legal precision

Legal Analysis

• Researching legal issues related to proposed legislation
• Analyzing constitutional and statutory implications of bills
• Providing legal opinions on legislative matters and procedures

Compliance Review

• Ensuring proposed laws comply with the FSM Constitution and Yap State Constitution
• Identifying potential legal conflicts with existing statutes
• Advising on legal risks and constitutional concerns

Technical Support

• Assisting legislators in translating policy goals into legally enforceable language
• Interpreting existing laws and their application
• Supporting committees with legal research and analysis

Advisory Role

• Providing non-partisan legal advice to all legislators
• Advising on parliamentary procedure and legislative authority
• Offering guidance on legal best practices in governance

The Legal Counsel Office serves as the legislature’s in-house legal expert, ensuring all legislative actions are legally sound, constitutionally compliant, and properly articulated.