Ms. Louise Vitale currently serves as Counsel to the Department of the Navy’s (DON) Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA). She served as Legislative Counsel from December 2005 until she was promoted to Counsel as a Senior Leader (SL) in September 2020. The Office of Legislative Affairs is assigned authority and responsibility for discharging the legislative functions and responsibilities for the DON, with the exception of appropriations matters. Ms. Vitale’s responsibilities include advising on and executing strategies for DON leadership to ensure favorable DON legislative positions and preparing DON leadership for testifying before or briefing Congress and its staff. Ms. Vitale’s portfolio includes matters relating to acquisition/procurement policy, industrial base security, domestic sourcing requirements, Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CIFIUS), intellectual property, releasability of information to Congress, civilian personnel, A-76/strategic sourcing, Military Sealift Command (MSC), small business policy, fiscal law and audit readiness, and property disposal.

Prior to joining the Office of Legislative Affairs, Ms. Vitale worked as an Associate Counsel in the Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), OGC. There her primary responsibilities included providing counsel to SSP on all civilian personnel matters including litigation, assisting with SSP’s ethics program, and providing legal counsel on all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and information security issues. During her time at SSP, Ms. Vitale became a DON certified mediator and Mentor Mediator for DON’s mediation program.

Ms. Vitale started her federal government career as an intern with the Department of Justice, Environmental Division from January – May 1995. From May 1995 until May 1997, she worked in private practice in Ohio. In May 1997, she joined DON OGC as an Assistant Counsel for SSP.

Ms. Vitale received the DON Distinguished Civilian Service Award in December 2016 and the DON Superior Civilian Service Award in March 2012. Additionally, Ms. Vitale was the recipient of the 2020 William R. Molzahn DON Office of General Counsel (OGC) Leadership Award.

Ms. Vitale received her LL.M. in Litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution from George Washington University in May 2001. She earned her J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1995 where she served as the Articles Editor for the Cleveland Marshall Law Review. She received her B.A. from Cleveland State University in 1991.