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 Conrad L. Mallett, whose mission is to provide legal services to the City, its elected officials, departments, agencies, offices, commissions, and boards, as well as individual employees, in their official capacity. 

The Law Department is comprised of twelve divisions made up of more than 80 attorneys, who provide legal advice, opinions, and counsel to our 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 legally bind the City.

Our divisions:

• Right to Counsel/Office of Eviction Defense
• Litigation
• Municipal
• Blight
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• Transactions and Economic Development
• Criminal Enforcement and Quality of Life
• Claims
• Workers’ Compensation
• Labor
• Appeals/Tax Appeals