The Northeast Section is co-located with the Northeast Region of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The office provides legal advice and assistance on issues related to the administration of NOAA programs in the eastern coastal states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina; and the inland states of Vermont, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The office is staffed by seven attorneys, one paralegal, and one support staff. The Section Chief is Charles Lynch and the Deputy Section Chief is John Almeida.