On Tuesday, January 30, the National Governors Association hosted an onboarding session for Governors’ legal counsel. The call discussed the role generally and highlighted key challenges and lessons for success.
Governors face varied and complex legal issues. The Governor’s legal counsel is one of their key advisors, and manages these issues for the Governor and the Governor’s office. Typically, the chief legal counsel contributes heavily to developing policy and legislative strategies for the administration, often to help prevent legal challenges. The legal counsel also manages Governor-involved litigation, coordinates with state agency legal counsel and other legal partners in the state, and generally oversees all state/territory legal issues.
The session reviewed the following topics:
- Roles & Responsibilities of Governors’ Legal Counsel;
- Gubernatorial Powers & Authorities;
- Key Executive Legal Issues;
- Managing Public Records Requests;
- Criminal Justice Issues;
- Emergency Legal Preparedness; and
- Common Challenges & Lessons Learned.
NGA holds monthly briefings for Governors’ legal counsel. Please reach out to Lauren Dedon (Ldedon@nga.org) for additional information.
