Litigation
Feb. 9, 2009
Cities Look to Legal Bills to Slash Costs
Cities statewide are similarly trying to rein in legal costs amid plunging revenues in the battered economy. Some municipalities have gone so far as to part ways with private law firms that have long held contracts to provide city attorney services. Other cities are simply keeping in house work that in normal economic times would have been assigned out to private lawyers.
By Jason W. Armstrong
Daily Journal Staff Writer A few months ago, a city-hired lawyer hashed out agreements between Cloverdale's redevelopment agency and applicants for building project loans. Drafting the contract took the lawyer about eight hours and, at $190 an hour, cost the city $1,520. Now, though, the Sonoma County city's non-lawyer employees largely handle the deals. They work from a template that includes basic legal details, and city-h...
Daily Journal Staff Writer A few months ago, a city-hired lawyer hashed out agreements between Cloverdale's redevelopment agency and applicants for building project loans. Drafting the contract took the lawyer about eight hours and, at $190 an hour, cost the city $1,520. Now, though, the Sonoma County city's non-lawyer employees largely handle the deals. They work from a template that includes basic legal details, and city-h...
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