Law Department

We represent Detroit in all civil actions.

Established by the Detroit City Charter, the Law Department is an independent agency that represents the interests of the City of Detroit as a corporate body. The Department is headed by the Corporation Counsel, whose mission is to provide a variety of legal services to the City, its elected officials, departments, agencies, offices, commissions, and boards, as well as its individual employees, in their official capacity. The Department has dozens of attorneys, specialized in various areas, who provide: legal advice, opinions, and counsel to clients; defend all legal actions against the City; prosecute violations of State law and/or City Ordinances on behalf of the people of the City of Detroit; and assist in drafting City ordinances and other legal instruments, including all transactional and contractual documents which would legally bind the City.