special counsel
noun
: counsel appointed to fill a particular need: as
a
: a federal government official appointed by the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute government corruption in cases where the Attorney General's office has a conflict of interest
b
: a federal government official appointed to protect federal employees from illegal practices by employers and especially from employer reprisal for whistleblowing
Examples of special counsel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Martha Stone, founder and special counsel of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, told the Courant that the foster care system is in crisis and that the reimbursement rates should be addressed.
—
Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
Two of the firms, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, hired lawyers who worked on former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including Mueller himself.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Garland appointed Smith as special counsel.
—Jana Winter, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Judge Aileen Cannon had tossed the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Republican senators grilled top executives from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon on Tuesday for handing over the phone records of several members of Congress that were subpoenaed by former special counsel Jack Smith.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
She was arrested last August by a special counsel, with prosecutors requesting 15 years in prison for the various crimes the court ruled on Wednesday.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel to the mayor Tim Moriarty, who now works at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.
—IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
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Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
Two of the firms, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, hired lawyers who worked on former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including Mueller himself.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Garland appointed Smith as special counsel.
—Jana Winter, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Judge Aileen Cannon had tossed the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Republican senators grilled top executives from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon on Tuesday for handing over the phone records of several members of Congress that were subpoenaed by former special counsel Jack Smith.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
She was arrested last August by a special counsel, with prosecutors requesting 15 years in prison for the various crimes the court ruled on Wednesday.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel to the mayor Tim Moriarty, who now works at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.
—IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Special counsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20counsel. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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