The current Legislative Counsel, Warren Burke, was appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson in October 2024.

[1] The origins of the office lie in a research experiment between Columbia Law professor Middleton Beaman and the House of Representatives in 1916.

[2] The Committee on Ways and Means found Beaman's assistance in legislative drafting sufficiently helpful that they formalized the office two years later.

From its creation, the officeholders were specified to be selected "without reference to political affiliations and solely on the ground of fitness to perform the duties of the office.

The Office shall maintain impartiality as to issues of legislative policy to be determined by the House of Representatives, and shall not advocate the adoption or rejection of any legislation except when duly requested by the Speaker or a committee to comment on a proposal directly affecting the functions of the Office.