In July 1797, Congress authorized the construction of six frigates and enacted the Rules for Regulation of the Navy as a temporary measure.

Without any statutory authority, Secretary Welles gave Wilson the title of "Solicitor of the Navy Department," making him the first house counsel to the U.S.

[1] By the Act of March 2, 1865, Congress authorized the president "to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service during the rebellion and one year thereafter, an officer of the [Navy] to be called the 'Solicitor and Naval Judge Advocate General.'"

The United States Congress maintained the billet on a year-to-year basis by amendments to the Naval Appropriations Acts.

[1] Colonel William Butler Remey, U.S. Marine Corps, was the first uniformed chief legal officer of the Navy, in 1878.

[1] The Naval Appropriations Act of 1918 elevated the billets of navy bureau chiefs and judge advocate general to rear admiral.

In July 1918, Captain George Ramsey Clark was appointed the first judge advocate general to hold the rank of rear admiral.

In 1947, the Navy created a "law specialist" program to allow line officers restricted duty to perform legal services.

The act also required each judge advocate general of any service be a member of the bar with not less than eight years of legal duties as a commissioned officer.

In 2023, the Navy significantly reformed its military justice system and established the Office of Special Trial Counsel, which oversees the prosecution of sailors and other service members who commit personal violence offenses, including sexual assault.

The Naval Justice School's curriculum was adapted to include four American Bar Association approved paralegal college courses.

Other than age and years of military service, there is no other statute of limitations on how many times they can be re-nominated for appointment to that position if the president so chooses.