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‘Attorneys pool’ eyed for entire govt
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Posted on Feb 13 2006
Some agencies will be exempted from the administration’s plan to create a centralized pool of government attorneys, acting Attorney General Matthew T. Gregory said.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial wants to withdraw the assignment of assistant attorneys general to specific government offices. He believes that the AGO’s resources could be better maximized by having an attorneys pool that is available for all departments and agencies.
According to Gregory, Fitial’s policy goal is now under discussion. He said, however, that the plan would not apply to some agencies for practical reasons.
“There are certain agencies that it may not be efficient to have the attorneys in one office, particularly the Department of Labor and the Division of Immigration. It would be very hard for attorneys to go down from Capitol Hill to meet with their clients. That’s logistically very difficult,” Gregory said.
Attorneys for Labor and Immigration are constantly required to represent the agencies in labor and deportation cases, among other things.
The Attorney General’s Office currently has about 25 attorneys.
Gregory, a Fitial appointee, said that there have been several resignations since the new administration assumed office. The AGO will hire replacements for them, but the number of attorneys will remain at basically the same level.
The AGO is looking to hire some attorneys from the U.S. mainland, he said.
There are also a few local attorneys who are expected to pass the bar examination soon. They will be considered for government employment.
