Policy Text
Page 1 of 2 8/01 (REV 1/89)
Legal Advisor
The purpose of this General Order i s to prescribe the duties of the Legal Advisor,
establish procedures to facilit ate orderly contact with Legal A dvisor, and to set forth
limitations essential to the su ccessful operation of that offic e.
I. Duties
A. Liaison
1. Maintain contact with representatives o f the County Counsel,
District Attorney, Attorney Gener al and other appropriate
organizations in order to obtain and provide prompt notificatio n of
legal matters which have or may have impact upon the
administration and operation of th e Sheriff’s Department.
B. Research and Review
1. Review and analyze court decis ions and legal opinions which affect
the operation of the S heriff’s Department.
2. In appropriate cases, prepare memoranda to advise administra tors
of important aspects of such decisions, suggest alternatives fo r
their consideration in formulati ng policy and assist the traini ng
section in preparation of instr uctional bulletins to notify per sonnel of
the impact of such decisions.
3. Conduct legal research and anal ysis for administrators and
personnel and provide appropriate v erbal or written response,
depending upon the complexity of the issues and the urgency of the
request.
4. Assist administrators in pr eparation and pres entation of per sonnel
actions, legal documents, and res earch projects. Provide suppor t to
the department’s Special Assistan t for Governmental Affairs and
other functions designated by the Sheriff.
II. Procedures
A. The Legal Advisor will assis t both staff and line personnel.
Page 2 of 2 8/01 (REV 1/89)
B. In order to provi de concise and rapid response to requests f or legal
information, all personnel are dir ected to observe the followin g formalities:
1. Requests for legal information and legal research may be ver bal or
written; however, in order to p romote clarity, all requests whi ch
require a written response or re view by County Counsel must be
submitted in writing.
2. If possible, requestors should provide the source of the pro blem,
i.e., case citation, magazine, newspaper, etc.
3. All requests, written or ver bal, shall be concise and shall clearly
identify the subject at issue.
III. Other Legal Assistance
A. Department personnel seeking le gal opinions in matters perta ining to the
policy, procedures or operation of the Department or the interp retation of
laws, should, unless otherwise reasonable under t he circumstanc es, refer
all such requests to the departmental Legal Advisor.