(a) The County Attorney shall be the legal advisor of the County and of its several offices, departments, boards, commissions and other agencies. Except as provided in Sections 314 and 528 of this Charter, no office, department, board, commission, agency or branch of the County government which receives County funds shall have any authority or power to employ or retain any legal counsel other than the County Attorney. The County Attorney shall also be the legal advisor and, if requested, legislative draftsman for the County Council. The County Attorney shall supervise the election of the nominees of the classified employees as provided in Section 520 of this Charter. The County Attorney shall issue upon request, give advice and opinions upon any legal questions affecting the interests of the County when the same are submitted: (1) by written request of a County Council member, (2) by written request of the County Executive, or (3) with the approval of the County Executive, by written request of the head of any office or department in the executive branch or any board, commission or agency. All deeds, bonds, contracts, releases, agreements, advertisements, bids and other legal papers, documents and instructions involving the interests of the County to be executed and approved by any officer of the County shall be submitted to the County Attorney and shall be approved by the County Attorney in writing as to their form and legal sufficiency in compliance with the laws and conditions under which executed. The County Attorney shall have the right of access at all times to the official records of any office, department, board, commission or agency of the County. Before the County Executive signs any ordinance passed by the County Council, the County Attorney shall review the ordinance and advise the County Executive as to its legality. The County Attorney shall have such additional legal duties as may from time to time be provided by ordinance not inconsistent herewith.
(b) Subject to any limitation or exception that the County Council specifies by ordinance, the County Attorney shall defend any officer or employee of the County in any civil action brought against the officer or employee by reason of any act done or omitted to be done in the scope of the officer's or employee's employment. In any case defended by the County Attorney under this section, the County shall pay all court related expenses charged to the officer or employee.
(Bill No. 78-72; Bill No. 77-82; Res. No. 39-88; Res. No. 30-22)