[5] In its functions, the council superseded the Commission of Legal Advisers of the Ministries (Lithuanian: Ministerijų juriskonsultų komisija) which was liquidated in November 1928.
One of the most discussed and debated aspects became the council's competence to rule whether directives, orders, instructions, and other acts by various institutions of the executive branch violated state laws.
[5] Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras opposed council's desire to independently "notice" conflicts between laws and various orders and instructions.
[10] The commission, chaired by Stasys Šilingas, started its work by borrowing the April Constitution of Poland adopted in 1935.
[10] The council paid special attention to the creation and development of the proper legal terminology in the Lithuanian language.
The council and its commissions reviewed and established several hundred legal terms, including same basics like nusikaltimas (crime) and kaltinamasis (the accused), that are widely used and accepted.
[2] During its existence, 18 people were members of the council, including Stasys Šilingas, attorney Mykolas Römeris, General Teodoras Daukantas, banker Vladas Jurgutis,[12] mayor Jonas Vileišis, judge Boleslovas Jonas Masiulis [lt] (was its chairman 1938–1940).
Generally, the members were selected for their expertise and not for their political loyalty to President Smetona or the Lithuanian Nationalist Union.