Legal Department

The City Attorney is the legal advisor to the City Council and of all other city officials and employees. The City Attorney is not an elected official, and does not serve as an ombudsman for private citizens or give legal advice concerning private legal disputes.

Please Note: We strive to be helpful, however, for ethical reasons, we cannot give legal advice to individual citizens. The Legal Department page was developed to provide general information. Data contained at this location, any City of Port Angeles site, or at any site linked from this or any city location, has not been reviewed for accuracy or legal sufficiency. The documents displayed are for reference purposes only. Their completeness and currency are not guaranteed.

Major Functions

The Legal Department provides legal representation for all city government related matters and has five major functions.

Advisory

The office serves as the legal advisor to the city manager, the City Council and all departments and officials of the city. We draft and review contracts, prepare legal opinions, and compile and present legal research at the request of the city manager and the City Council, or other public officials, all with the goal of ensuring legally sound decisions in developing and carrying out city policies.

Civil Litigation

Initiate or defend lawsuits on behalf of the city.

Criminal Prosecution

Prosecution of City cases is handled by the Clallam County Prosecutor's office. For all cases filed in the name of the City, contact the Clallam County Prosecutor's office at 417-2384 or 417-2368.

Legislative

We prepare ordinances, resolutions, and related documents needed to carry out city policies and City Council's decisions.

Property Management

Provide analysis, management, and oversight of the city’s various interests in real property; participate in negotiation and closing of transactions relating to real property rights and interests.