Law Summary
Qualifications and Rank Equivalency
- The Chief Legal Counsel and Assistant Chiefs must have qualifications and salaries equivalent to the first and next ranking Assistant Solicitors General.
- The Assistant Legal Counsels, Senior Special Attorneys, and Special Attorneys must meet qualifications and hold ranks equivalent to solicitors in the Office of the Solicitor General.
Organizational Structure and Divisions
- The Legal Staff may be organized into four divisions for efficiency.
- Each division is headed by an Assistant Legal Counsel, who acts as the division chief.
- This divisional structure supports the effective discharge of the office's functions.
Additional Duties and Designations of Legal Staff Members
- Except for certain Assistant Special Attorneys, Legal Staff members may be assigned to perform solicitor functions upon prior approval from the Secretary of Justice and request by the Solicitor General.
- They may also be designated as acting city judges during absences, sickness, incapacity, or vacancy of a city judge.
- No additional compensation is provided for acting as solicitor or city judge.
Special Division - Oversight on Trusts, Monopolies, and Combinations
- One division is tasked with studying laws on trusts, monopolies, and combinations.
- Duties include drafting legislation to update laws against monopolistic practices, investigating violations, and initiating preventive or remedial measures.
- Attorneys in this division represent the Attorney General in related legal proceedings.
- They possess the same powers as prosecuting officers to enforce laws, including instituting judicial proceedings and exerting punitive or coercive actions.
Appropriations and Effective Date
- Appropriations necessary to implement the Act are authorized.
- The Act takes effect immediately upon approval.