# Legal Counsel of the Federal Executive

The Legal Counsel of the Federal Executive (Consejero Jurídico del Ejecutivo Federal, CJEF) is a government official who, alongside the 19 secretaries of state, is a member of the cabinet of the President of Mexico. The purpose of the office of the legal counsel (Consejería Jurídica del Ejecutivo Federal) is to review and validate legal instruments that are submitted to the president for consideration, such as decrees, agreements, legislative bills or constitutional reforms. Its other tasks include drafting or assisting in the drafting of bills that are to be presented to the Congress of the Union. It also represents the president in unconstitutionality actions or constitutional controversies as provided for in the Constitution and represents him or her in all lawsuits in which he or she is a party.

## History

The office of the Legal Counsel of the Federal Executive was created on 15 May 1996 during the administration of Ernesto Zedillo. By means of constitutional amendments enacted on 30 December 2015, article 26 of the Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration was revised to raise the office of the Legal Counsel to cabinet status.

## Functions

The functions of the CJEF are set out in articles 43, 43-bis and 43-ter of the Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration. They include:
* To support the president in such legal matters as he or she may request.
* To consider and give its opinion on any bill sent by the president to Congress.
* To receive bills and initiatives that the secretariats of state seek to submit to Congress, at least one month in advance.
* To head the federal government's Legal Studies Commission, which is made up of representatives of the legal areas of each agency of the federal public administration.

## List of Legal Counsels of the Federal Executive

| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party | Political Party | President | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Political Party | President | President |
| 1 | | Germán Aguirre Fernández | 15 May 1996 | 30 November 2000 | 4 years, 199 days | | Independent | | Ernesto Zedillo (1994–2000) |
| 2 | | Juan de Dios Castro Lozano 1st term | 1 December 2000 | 20 March 2003 | 2 years, 109 days | | National Action Party | | Vicente Fox (2000–2006) |
| 3 | | María Teresa Herrera Tello [es] | 3 April 2003 | 11 November 2004 | 1 year, 222 days | | Independent | | Vicente Fox (2000–2006) |
| 4 | | Daniel Francisco Cabeza de Vaca [es] 1st term | 11 November 2004 | 27 April 2005 | 167 days | | National Action Party | | Vicente Fox (2000–2006) |
| 5 | | Juan de Dios Castro Lozano 2nd term | 12 November 2005 | 30 November 2006 | 1 year, 18 days | | National Action Party | | Vicente Fox (2000–2006) |
| 6 | | Daniel Francisco Cabeza de Vaca [es] 2nd term | 1 December 2006 | 28 January 2008 | 1 year, 58 days | | National Action Party | | Felipe Calderón (2006–2012) |
| 7 | | Miguel Alessio Robles Landa | 28 January 2008 | 30 November 2012 | 4 years, 307 days | | Independent | | Felipe Calderón (2006–2012) |
| 8 | | Humberto Castillejos Cervantes [es] | 1 December 2012 | 9 June 2017 | 4 years, 190 days | | Ecologist Green Party of Mexico | | Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) |
| 9 | | Misha Leonel Granados | 9 June 2017 | 30 November 2018 | 1 year, 174 days | | Independent | | Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) |
| 10 | | Julio Scherer Ibarra [es] | 1 December 2018 | 2 September 2021 | 2 years, 275 days | | National Regeneration Movement | | Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024) |
| 11 | | María Estela Ríos González [es] | 2 September 2021 | 30 September 2024 | 3 years, 28 days | | Independent | | Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024) |
| 12 | | Ernestina Godoy Ramos | 1 October 2024 | Incumbent | 150 days | | National Regeneration Movement | | Claudia Sheinbaum (2024–present) |