City attorney

A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality.

In some small towns, the city attorney is usually a lawyer in private practice and handles only governmental matters. In other towns or cities he or she also prosecutes minor crimes.

A city attorney generally handles all legal matters for the city, from traffic tickets to civil lawsuits to acting as a general counsel, giving legal advice for city departments.

Areas of focus may include:

• Civil claims against the city (such as claims against the city police department)
• Criminal - Prosecute misdemeanors and violations (felonies are usually prosecuted by a district attorney, State's Attorney or Commonwealth's Attorney)
• Real estate - Drug/alcohol nuisances, substandard housing or code enforcement