We deliver excellent legal service consistent with the highest standard of professional integrity and responsibility.
Responsibilities
We perform legal services for the City as authorized by the City Charter. The department is comprised of the Law Director (who serves at the pleasure of the Mayor), twenty-two attorneys who act as assistants to and serve at the pleasure of the Law Director, five para-professionals, and seven clerical staff members. Clients of the Department include the Mayor, the Executive and Administrative staff, City Council, all City Departments and their officers and employees, the Judges and their staff in Toledo Municipal Court, the Clerk and Deputy of the Clerk of Courts, and the official Boards, Commissions and Committees of the City. The Law Department prosecutorial staff also serves the general public by filing and prosecuting citizen complaints.
Our staff is organized into four sections. Each section has a Section Chief. In addition, a Taxation Section that works in close cooperation with the Department of Finance. The Utilities' attorneys handle all legal matters for the City's Department of Public Utilities' water, sewer and storm water utilities, public improvements, air and water pollution enforcement, and personnel and EPA Consent Decree matters. Duties also include purchasing electricity and natural gas for City facilities, running the City's aggregation programs, and handling cable, telecommunication and information technology issues.
General Section
The General Section performs transactional and advisory work for the City. Its duties include reviewing all contracts entered by the City, preparing legislation, rendering written legal opinions and oral legal advice to the City?s elected and appointed officials, responding to Council referrals, and preparing all types of legal documents for City Departments.
Litigation Section
The Litigation Section staff represents the City in claims and lawsuits filed for or against the City in all courts. The City's
litigation matters range from extremely complex business disputes to routine claims and collections. At any given time, well over 250 claims and lawsuits are pending and assigned to the City's litigators and legal investigator.
Claims Division
The Claims Division in the Litigation Section has the responsibility of fully investigating and resolving claims that are filed with the City. If you have a claim to file with the City for damages resulting from incidents involving City of Toledo employees or vehicles, please call the Law Department at 419-245-1020. An investigator will respond to your claim within seven (7) days.
Prosecutorial Section
The Prosecutorial Section staff prosecutes approximately 90,000 misdemeanor criminal cases per year in Toledo Municipal Court. Those cases range from minor misdemeanors to first degree misdemeanors. Many of the cases are routine traffic offenses, but driving under the influence, domestic violence, and crimes against people and property are also handled by the Court.