Law

The mission of the Law Department is to deliver high-quality legal services at a reasonable cost to Gwinnett County and its citizens, elected officials, managers, and staff, authorities, and related organizations.

The Law Department will rank among the best local government law departments in the State of Georgia. It will be known for measures to improve the quality of life for all, superior preventive advice, and efficient defense of litigation, consistent with the County's goals. It will operate in a cost-effective manner by maintaining a seasoned team of lawyers and staff with continuously improved technology.

Integrity: We will observe the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.

Accountability: We value accountability. We consider effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars as a sacred trust between Gwinnett County, its citizens, elected officials, managers, and staff, authorities, and related organizations while maintaining an excellent staff with continued improvements in office technology.

Professionalism: We are committed to hiring and maintaining a well-trained staff.

Quality: We provide high-quality legal services through continual improvement of our knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The Law Department is comprised of a County Attorney, Chief Assistant County Attorney and six Senior Assistant County Attorneys, and a professional legal clerical staff. The County Attorney reports directly to the Board of Commissioners and is the legal advisor and representative of the County. The department provides the following:

• General administrative legal counsel to County officers including Board of Commissioners, County Administrator, Department Directors, Authorities and Boards, constitutional and statutory officers, various court and judicial officers connected with the County judicial system, and county employees in their official capacities
• Representation in litigation including zoning, civil rights, personal injury, contracts, condemnations, and personnel actions
• Monitoring litigation assigned to retained counsel (most litigation is handled in-house; work assigned to retained counsel is generally of a complex, time-intensive variety, the nature of which would impact the ability of in-house lawyers to fulfill the department's overall mission)
• Drafting legal opinions; negotiation, and approval of contracts; review of agenda items; and general legal advice
• Development and maintenance of computerized activity logs indicating the status of foregoing matters

2010 Authorized Strength: 14

Operating Budget: 2010 Budget Appropriations
General Fund: $ 948,921

Solid Waste: Issues continue to arise with regard to the implementation of the Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Services Ordinance of 2010 and compliance with state mandates.

Water and Wastewater Issues: The State of Alabama v. Corps of Engineers lawsuit and long-range capacity issues for water and sewer will continue to demand legal attention.

Service Delivery Strategy: Until the service delivery agreement between the County and the cities is resolved either through an out-of-court settlement or order of the court, this issue will remain a concern.