About Us

The Office of the Seattle City Attorney is also known as the Law Department under Article XIII of the City Charter. With more than 100 attorneys, the City's Law Department is one of the largest law offices in Seattle and is the third largest public law office in the state.

For representative examples of our work, please see our office's Reports page.

The Law Department is divided into three major divisions:

The Criminal Division prosecutes misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and traffic infractions in Seattle Municipal Court. The types of cases prosecuted by the Criminal Division include driving under the influence (DUI), misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor domestic violence, misdemeanor theft, and trespassing.

The Civil Division represents the City in lawsuits and advises City officials as they develop programs, projects, policies, and legislation. The sections within the Civil Division are torts (claims), governmental affairs, land use, environmental protection, labor and employment, contracts/utilities, and regulatory enforcement and economic justice.

The Administration Division staff provide budgeting, accounting, human resource, clerical and information technology services for the City Attorney's Office.


Read our Frequently Asked Questions about the Law Department.

Contact Us

For the Seattle City Attorney's Office reception desk, call (206) 684-8200.

City Attorney

Ann Davison, City Attorney
Address: 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2050 , Seattle , WA , 98104-7095
Mailing Address: 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2050 , Seattle , WA , 98104-7095
Phone: (206) 684-8200
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The City Attorney heads the Law Department and is responsible for supervising all City litigation. In addition, the City Attorney supervises a staff of Assistant City Attorneys who provide legal advice and assistance to the City's management and prosecute violations of City ordinances.