Corporation counsel Greg Mordock says municipal law centers on community in Springfield

Greg Mordock, corporation counsel for the city of Springfield, said municipal law places the community itself at the center of legal work and requires constant, practical legal counsel to city departments. "In municipal law, caring about your community is front and center," Mordock said, summarizing why he chose the specialty.

Mordock contrasted municipal practice with private litigation, saying municipal lawyers advise on policy and operations rather than engage in repeated adversarial battles. He told listeners the legal department routinely fields requests from multiple departments — often asking whether the city "can we do this?" or whether an action should be included in a contract — and provides counsel on the best course for the city as a whole. "Part of our role is to not only give legal advice, but to give counsel and to advise different departments," he said.

He emphasized that municipal attorneys must keep constitutional constraints in mind when the city acts, noting the office regularly considers "the Bill of Rights" and separation of powers in daily decisions. "We need to keep the bill of rights in mind," Mordock said, adding that constitutional law is among the most intellectually engaging parts of the work because a city is a government unit.

Mordock outlined the variety of matters the office handles, from personnel and environmental issues to animal control and "liability in the millions of dollars," underscoring how unpredictable each day can be. He described the variety as energizing, saying he "enjoy[s] coming into work every day and not knowing what's going to happen," and framed the role as an opportunity to help improve Springfield.

Mordock did not present proposals or seek action during these remarks; they were offered as an overview of the legal department's functions and the types of issues it routinely addresses.