Outside Counsel Cost Reduction

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Local governments are constantly challenged to reduce expenditures and costs yet maintain a top level of services to its citizens. This is an ongoing challenge that the County of Wayne, Michigan has had to address at all levels of its government including its legal department. Wayne County’s Office of Corporation counsel is responsible for the civil legal affairs of Wayne County. One challenge that the Office of Corporation Counsel has had to meet is the significant decline in budgeted funds for the retention and use of outside firms for legal services. In order to address this loss of available funds, Wayne County’s Corporation Counsel recently negotiated reductions in the hourly rates charged by local law firms handling legal work on behalf of Wayne County. With this reduction of rates in place, Wayne County was able to maintain the high standard of legal practice required in the defense of the County, yet contemporaneously reduce its cost and expenditures in the use of outside law firms.