The Legal Department provides in-house legal advice and counseling to the City’s elected officials, administrators, departments, and staff. This may also include policy interpretation, contract review and advice regarding administrative matters, e.g., personnel and/or grievances and dispute resolutions.
The department is led by City Attorney Vincent Hyman and includes two additional attorneys, a paralegal and an administrative assistant.
The city attorney is also responsible for representing and defending the city in all litigation in which the city is a party. He or she may be the prosecuting officer in the city's municipal court.
As dictated by the city's charter, the mayor nominates the city attorney, and the city council confirms that nomination by a majority vote. The attorney is required to be a member of the State Bar of Georgia and must have practiced law for at least seven years.