James Baehr serves as the Senate-confirmed General Counsel of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation’s largest civilian federal agency, where he leads the Department’s nationwide legal workforce and oversees legal strategy across its health care, benefits, and memorial affairs missions.
Before his appointment, Baehr litigated cases in Louisiana and the U.S. Fifth Circuit as Special Counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, where he founded and led a public interest litigation practice representing clients in constitutional and administrative matters in federal and state courts. He also founded and managed a private litigation practice.
Baehr previously served as a Special Assistant to the President in the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he coordinated and oversaw policy initiatives across multiple federal agencies. He contributed to legislation, regulations, and executive actions focused on expanding Veterans’ health care choice, strengthening accountability, and addressing Veteran suicide, including implementation of Executive Order 13861.
Baehr serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, most recently completing a tour as a reserve military trial judge. He received the distinguished graduate award at military judge’s course at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. In 2018, he activated and deployed to the Middle East for Operation Inherent Resolve, serving on the Command Staff as the Chief of the Joint Visitor’s Bureau, where he helped coordinate over 140 strategic messaging trips for key leaders to Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria on the campaign against ISIS. He previously served on active duty as a Marine judge advocate defense counsel. He is a recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal, among other awards. He was appointed by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as At-Large Commissioner for the Veterans Affairs Commission.
From 2014 to 2019, Baehr served as federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans, after a year clerking for Judge Edith Brown Clement of the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Baehr is a member of the state bars of Georgia, New York, Louisiana, California, Washington, D.C., and Texas and of the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court Bar.
During and directly after law school, he worked at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. and New York and at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. as a law clerk in the Office of Legal Policy. Baehr received his J.D. and a Master’s in History from the University of Virginia in 2008. He graduated from Dartmouth College with honors in History and Government in 2005. He and his wife Jasmine are the proud parents of their infant son, James, Jr.