Welcome to the Austin City Attorney's Office
The mission of the Austin City Attorney's Office is to provide quality legal services to the City of Austin so that it can govern lawfully with the highest level of integrity and serve the community effectively. As the chief legal advisor for the City, the Austin City Attorney's Office provides legal advice and representation to the Mayor, City Council, City Officers, City Manager, city departments, boards, and commissions of the City.
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About the Office
The City of Austin Law Department is a mid-size, in-house law firm averaging 60 attorneys. The department meets the vast majority of the City's legal needs, ranging from areas as diverse as animal control to zoning.
The City Attorney is appointed by the City Manager and cannot provide legal advice to private citizens on personal legal matters. Instead the City Attorney provides legal advice and representation to the Mayor, City Council, City Officers, City Manager, city departments, boards and commissions of the City.
Our key activities are to advocate and resolve disputes, to review and develop contracts, and to render opinions and advice.
Divisions
Over the years, the Law Department has striven to develop "subject-matter" experts in certain demand areas, while maintaining a balance of full-service lawyers to meet the City's overall legal needs. The Department is organized into several functional divisions.
Deborah Thomas, City Attorney
Meet the City Attorney
With over 25 years of experience in municipal law and public service, Deborah serves as City Attorney for the City of Austin. She leads a legal team of more than 115 attorneys and other professional staff, providing strategic counsel to elected officials and city leadership on complex legal, governance, and policy matters.
Over the course of her tenure with the City, she has held several key positions, including Chief of the Land use and Real Estate Division, Deputy City Attorney, and Interim City Attorney. Deborah has guided the city through major development projects and critical negotiations.
Deborah has a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you wish to file a claim against the City of Austin you must send a letter within 45 days from the date of incident with the following information: Date, time, and location of incident, description of what occurred, type of damage(s) or nature of injury, copies of invoices, receipts, and/or estimates, any additional documentation supporting your claim (i.e., photos, diagrams, statements, police report, etc.) and a full mailing address and daytime telephone number.
You may mail, fax, or email the following information to:
Mailing address:
City of Austin Law Department
Attn: Claims
P.O. Box 1546
Austin, Texas 78767-1546
Email: lawclaims@austintexas.gov
Fax: (512) 974-1311
Phone: (512) 974-2268
After receipt of your claim a letter of acknowledgement will be mailed to you within 3-4 business days. The letter will have your claim number, your investigator’s name, and contact phone number. It is our practice when possible to complete our investigation within 30 days of receiving your claim. Some claims may take longer depending on the complexity. After the investigation is complete, a letter approving or denying your claim will be mailed to you. You may call the City Attorney’s Office at (512) 974-2268 if you have any questions.
The City Code may be viewed online or at the Office of the City Clerk, 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701