Beleaguered California Cities Try to Save on Legal Fees

Several municipalities in California seeking ways to trim their budgets are hoping to cut their legal fees, either by replacing their law firms or handing off some legal work to nonlegal employees.

One lawyer told the Daily Journal (sub. req.) that she is seeing more requests for proposals from California towns, while another lawyer said he is helping his municipal clients take on more legal work for themselves.

The city of Banning in Riverside County has already jettisoned its law firm, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, and replaced it with a firm offering lower rates, the story says. Nearby Hemet is also considering firing Burke Williams for a lower-cost competitor. Julie Biggs, a Burke Williams partner, told the publication its rates are reasonable and "midlevel" compared to other law firms.

Eric Danly, a partner at Meyers Nave in Santa Rosa, told the publication that he is helping the northern California cities of Cloverdale and Petaluma hand off work to their employees that was once done by lawyers.

Danly said he has given tutorials to city workers so they can handle public records requests on their own. He is also providing contract templates so lawyers don’t need to write more routine contracts for consultants on city projects, the story says.

Stacey Sheston, who heads the public law practice at McDonough Holland & Allen, warned that legal work done by nonlawyers can be flawed. She told the Daily Journal of an instance in which the lawyers had to “go back and fix” a contract that was drafted by city clients.