Case Details

Issues

Outside Counsel, Status In State Government

Filing State

AZ

Court

Arizona Supreme Court

Year

1986

Citation

Fund Manager Pub. Safety Personnel Retirement Sys. v. Superior Court, 731 P.2d 620, 623 (Az. 1986)

Resolution

Arizona state agency may hire outside counsel, attorney general may approve choice of counsel, but not decision to hire outside counsel.

Case Description

The supreme court of Arizona held that the state’s statutory scheme allows a client agency authority to decide, in some circumstances, not to accept the services of the attorney general. However, even though the attorney general may not impose restrictive supervisory conditions upon the client agency’s use of outside counsel, the supreme court concluded that “the Attorney General serves as an approver of an agency’s choice of counsel, rather than as a decider whether outside counsel may be hired.”