The Office, which operates much like a private firm, bills its many clients for services. Clients include a $5.1 billion dollar public utility (JEA), a school district with over 125,000 students, the Airport Authority, the Seaport Authority, the Transportation Authority, the Housing Authority, five constitutional officers (Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser, Sheriff, Tax Collector and Clerk of Court), the Mayor and 10 executive branch departments, 19 City Council members, and over 40 boards, commissions, and agencies.

As a result of this varied and significant client base, the Office of General Counsel has a diverse civil practice, with areas that include litigation (e.g., commercial, personal injury, constitutional, etc.), real estate, land use, environmental law, labor and employment law, workers' compensation, eminent domain, foreclosures, evictions, bankruptcy, municipal finance, contract negotiation and drafting, and a variety of economic development and transactional areas.

The Office operates as a modern, progressive law firm. Service to our clients includes the submission of detailed billing statements reflecting services rendered and costs incurred. A strong emphasis on technology, in all aspects of legal representation and law office management, has led to increased productivity, efficiency and cost savings for clients.

Under the City Charter, the Office of General Counsel provides diverse and comprehensive legal services to all entities of the consolidated government and plays a critical role in making consolidated government work. The Office is committed to quality work, client service, attracting talented lawyers from the private sector, technology, and professionalism.

In 1967, voters of Duval County passed a Charter which created Jacksonville's consolidated form of government. The Charter approved by the voters also created the Office of General Counsel, giving it broad and unique responsibilities. Under the Charter, the office represents all entities of the consolidated government, including the executive and legislative branches, constitutional officers, independent authorities and numerous boards and commissions. The unique role of the General Counsel, and the varied and extensive client base, has enabled the office to develop a broad, diversified civil practice and municipal law, the expertise to advise clients on municipal law and Jacksonville's Charter and consolidated form of government.

The Charter provides that any legal opinion rendered by the General Counsel is binding on the entire consolidated government. Since 1968, General Counsels have issued over 370 binding legal opinions. In the early years of consolidation, legal opinions from General Counsels, particularly William Durden, were critical to the successful establishment of the only consolidated government in Florida.

These three factors - - representation of all entities of consolidated government, the authority of the General Counsel to issue binding legal opinions and the office's broad expertise in legal matters affecting the consolidated government - - have led to the elimination of litigation between entities of the consolidated government. The Office of General Counsel is proud of its role in making consolidated government work.

From small offices representing the former City and County, the Office of General Counsel has grown to a firm of more than forty attorneys, providing representation on a wide variety of transactional and litigation matters. Since 1968, the office has been led by 12 different General Counsels. They collectively include, by virtue of prior or subsequent service, two Mayors, four judges, two State Attorneys, a former President of the Florida Bar, and partners from some of Jacksonville's largest and most prestigious law firms.

As former Mayor and General Counsel Ed Austin stated: "The General Counsel's Office is the glue that holds consolidated government together".