Departmental Organization

The City Attorney is the chief legal advisor for the City of Atlanta and is the commissioner of the Department of Law. The Department of Law is vested with exclusive authority and jurisdiction in all matters of law relating to the executive and legislative branches of city government and every department, office, division, bureau, institution, commission, committee, board and agency. The Department of Law represents the City of Atlanta in a wide range of commercial transactions; litigates all matters on behalf of the City of Atlanta; defends city officials and employees in civil litigation arising from the performance of their official duties; provides written legal opinions on questions of law connected with the interest of the City of Atlanta to the Mayor, any department head, and the president or a member of the Atlanta City Council; attends all meetings of the Atlanta City Council and meetings of the committees of the council as requested; supervises, administers and manages all claims work under O.C.G.A. § 34-9-1, et seq., and performs any other service consistent with the usual and customary duties of municipal corporation counsel. It is important to note that the Department of Law does not provide legal advice to members of the public. Its services are limited to the provision of legal advice, counsel, and representation to the Mayor, City Council members, city officials and departments in all civil matters regarding the City of Atlanta, Georgia.

The Department of Law is comprised of three groups and five divisions:

The Airport Legal Division serves as legal counsel to the Department of Aviation, which operates Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest and most efficient airport in the world. This Division provides advice and counsel on a variety of commercial matters such as real estate, contracts, construction, finance, procurement of goods and services, tax matters, local and federal legislative matters, and federal regulatory laws. The attorneys in this Division work with all departments of the Airport, the Atlanta City Council, the mayor’s office, multiple city departments, governing bodies of other municipalities, and local, national, and international airports.

The City Attorney Group provides legal counsel to the Mayor and the City Council.  The City Attorney and the City Attorney Group is also responsible for the administration of the Department of Law, including strategic planning, legal operations and administration, budget and financial analysis, invoicing and vendor maintenance, among other things.  It is also responsible for proactively evaluating, reviewing, and improving standards and processes within the City of Atlanta, with a centralized focus on preventing and reducing liability related to federal, state and local laws and regulations. The City Attorney Group is responsible for conducting thorough and impartial investigations into the affairs of any City of Atlanta department, board, office, commission, institution, authority, retirement system or any other instrumentality or agency thereof, where appropriate.

The Claims Group manages claims filed against the City of Atlanta.

The Legal Operations group within charged with the responsibility of managing the department’s operational matters, including but not limited to human resources / personnel Matters; finance & budgeting; payroll; information technology services; supply ordering & inventory; front office operations; facilities maintenance; travel & training arrangements; etc. 

The Litigation Division handles lawsuits in which the City of Atlanta, any of its employees, elected officials or its agents are named as defendants. This Division handles tort litigation, employment matters and constitutional claims filed in federal or state court. and pursues lawful recovery of revenue on behalf of the City of Atlanta.

The Operations Division also serves as counsel to the legislative and administrative branches of City government. Specifically, professionals in this Division serve: the Department of Watershed Management, providing legal counsel on a broad array of legal matters; the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation, including the Renew Atlanta Bond and TSPLOST Programs regarding a broad variety of matters; the SAVE/E-Verify compliance program; the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience; and ATL 311.  The Operations Division also provides advice and counsel to the Department of Human Resources, Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services and Human Relations Commissions, providing legal advice regarding operations and legal support.  Additionally, the Operations Division provides environmental and construction advice and counsel across the executive branch departments.

The Municipal Governance Division provides legal counsel and contract services to the legislative and administrative branches of the City of Atlanta. Specifically, professionals in this Division serve the Departments of Finance, Mayor’s Office of Contract Compliance, its General, Police and Fire administrative committees the Municipal Court and Public Safety departments, including the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire & Rescue Department, and Department of Corrections and multiple boards and commissions including the Defined Contribution Pension Investment Board, the Defined Benefit Pension Investment Board. This Division also provides legal counsel on commercial transactions, including municipal financing and tax matters.

The Strategic Business Services Division also provides legal counsel and contract services to the legislative and administrative branches of the City of Atlanta. Specifically, professionals in this Division serve the Departments of AIM, Enterprise Assets Management, Grants, Parks and Recreation, Planning, Aviation and Procurement. This Division also provides legal counsel on commercial transactions, including contracts, real estate matters and land use matters.