Office of Law

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Stephanie P. Anderson, County Attorney County Adminstration Building 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive Room 5121 Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-3050 Contact: Chris Noone Tel: (301) 952-5225 Fax: (301) 952-3071

Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except holidays

Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Law is to serve the County government and its agencies who have matters requiring Legal review in an expeditious and professional manner, to effectively enforce the civil laws of the County, and to be responsive and timely in providing quality legal services and advice.

Overview

The County Attorney is head of the agency who manages and oversees all areas of operations and provides guidance and supervision to the staff. The Office of Law is comprised of two divisions: the Litigation Division and the Government Operations Division. Each division is supervised by a Deputy County Attorney.

Government Operations functions include: providing legal opinions and advice; reviewing and drafting legislation; reviewing and drafting complex contracts; handling personnel board cases and labor issues; responding to Maryland Public Information Act requests; litigating code enforcement cases; handling complex real estate transactions; representing the Department of Social Services in Children in Need of Assistance cases and Termination of Parental Rights Cases; reviewing appointments to County boards and commissions; handling treasury and tax issues, and Board of Ethics matters.

The Litigation Division defends the County and its agencies, officials and employees against all lawsuits in both State and Federal courts. Types of cases include personal injury, motor vehicle torts, other tort claims, professional liability, disciplinary trial boards for the Police Department, employment discrimination, contract disputes, workers' compensation, collections, subrogation and forfeitures. They also handle all appeals in State and Federal courts.

The Office of Law does not advise private citizens. If you are a private citizen seeking legal assistance, you may contact the Lawyer Referral Service at (301) 952-1440 or the Legal Aid Bureau at (301) 927-6800.