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County Counsel summarizes office duties and specialized workloads; seeks clearer public explanation of role
Summary
County Counsel Charlotte Scott outlined the office's civil-legal responsibilities, explained why a relatively large portion of staff work on juvenile-dependency and mental-health conservatorship caseloads, and said she will prepare a concise public explanation of the office's function and workload.
County Counsel Charlotte Scott presented a detailed overview of the County Counsel office to clarify its civil legal responsibilities and specialized workload patterns.
Scott said the office provides civil legal services to the county as an organization, represents the county in civil litigation and administrative matters, prepares impartial analyses for ballot measures, advises on probate and conservatorships, and supports juvenile-dependency cases. She noted the office contains specialized teams: several deputies handle juvenile dependency and appellate work, while another deputy focuses on mental-health conservatorships (LPS and probate conservatorships).
Scott explained the structure reflects statutory obligations and local needs: juvenile-dependency work is intensive and carries its own appeals; in larger counties a comparable share of staff is often devoted to child-welfare litigation. She said county counsel serves as a resource for boards, commissions and departments on Brown Act, ethics, contracts and public-records matters and stressed the value of early outreach so attorneys can help manage legal risk efficiently.
Supervisors asked for a concise public summary of the office's role and workload. Scott said she would prepare a one-page explanation for the CEO report and public information materials and that the office will continue to monitor staffing needs relative to caseloads.
Why this matters: Understanding the county's legal staffing and the office's role can reduce misperceptions about why civil counsel resources are allocated as they are and clarify where and how supervisors and departments should request legal advice.
