The county attorney is appointed by the county mayor with the approval of the county commissioners. The office of the county attorney was created by Section 3.08 A(1) and (2) of the Shelby County Charter. The staff consists of 15 full-time and 14 part-time assistant county attorneys.

The powers and duties of the county attorney are laid out in the County Charter and in various county ordinances. In 2005, the office of the county attorney received more than 100 requests for opinions, handled approximately 1,600 new contract approvals, and was involved in the litigation of over 300 cases.

Responsibilities
The office of the county attorney assumes the following responsibilities: 

• Approve the form of county contracts
• Determine whether a proposed policy meets applicable laws
• Oversees Shelby County's public defender and the county's divorce referees
• Provide legal advice to the county mayor, county commissioners, other elected county officials, as well as all departments, divisions, and offices of county government
• Provide oversight to the claims department
• Represent Shelby County in lawsuits
• Review and/or draft all ordinances, resolutions, and state legislation applicable to Shelby County government

Contact Us
The office of the county attorney is located on the sixth floor of the County Administration Building. View the department's staff directory to contact specific county attorneys.