Department of Law
Section 18 · Pages 111–116 · 4 tables · includes narrative
Key changes
- Budget increases 122.2% ($8.5M), led by $8.1M more in Miscellaneous
- Adds 1 position (40 → 41 FTE)
On this page
Department of Law
Department of Law 
Mission
The Department of Law provides legal advice and serves as in-house corporate counsel to the City of Pittsburgh, which often involves providing advice to the Mayor, City Directors, City Council, and various governmental units. It represents the City in all legal aspects of its daily governmental functions. It also represents the City in all cases which impact public policy and City residents’ quality of life. The Department of Law operates as a quality, proactive boutique law firm attracting talented professionals with impeccable integrity from the public and private sector.
Departmental/Bureau Overview
The Department of Law is divided into several general service areas or divisions as follows: Federal Litigation - The Federal Litigation Division represents the City in lawsuits in Federal Court in which the City is a party both at the trial and appellate level. The primary areas of law involved in these actions are Civil Rights, Employment, Taxation, Environmental, and Construction.
State Litigation – The State Litigation represents the City in lawsuits in State Court in which the City is a party in the Court of Common Pleas, Commonwealth Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The State Litigation Division also represents the City as a Plaintiff in matters involving non-payment of amounts owed the City or for collection as the result of damage to City property and prosecution of code enforcement cases.
Labor and Employment - The Labor and Employment Division is responsible for all labor negotiations and contract administration for all collective bargaining units representing City employees. They also handle employee grievances and arbitrations filed against the City and are responsible for all employment legal issues and compliance advice.
General Municipal - The General Municipal Division drafts and reviews all City contracts, handles real estate matters, zoning issues, environmental issues (non-litigation), and regulatory interpretation. This division also responds directly to all departments and City Council for advice and counsel when needed.
Claims - The Claims division investigates and determines the validity of various claims against the City.
Open Records Officer - The Open Records Officer is responsible for providing access of public records to the public at large while complying with the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law.
2025 Accomplishments
- Saved the City millions during a federal trial in January of 2025
- Completed pilot project on selling residential properties directly to residents quickly, by clearing titles before the sale
- Settled cases with no contribution from the City, as well as won multiple Motions for Summary Judgments and appeals, resulting in no payment from the City
Position Summary
Lists authorized positions with FTE counts and pay grades.
| Title | 2025 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2025 Budget | 2026 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2026 Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Legal Officer & City Solicitor | 1 | 133,058 | 12 | 133,058 | 1 | 137,030 | 12 | 137,030 |
| Deputy Solicitor | 1 | 35G | 12 | 129,126 | 1 | 35G | 12 | 132,995 |
| Associate Solicitor | 4 | 14-1 | 12 | 482,310 | 4 | 14-1 | 12 | 496,787 |
| Assistant Solicitor II | 3 | 13-6 | 12 | 349,939 | 3 | 13-6 | 12 | 360,422 |
| Assistant Solicitor l | 14 | 12-6 | 12 | 1,420,182 | 13 | 12-6 | 12 | 1,358,219 |
| Contract Administrator | 1 | 19G | 12 | 65,333 | 1 | 67,456 | 12 | 67,456 |
| Paralegal | 2 | 18G | 12 | 125,341 | 2 | 18G | 12 | 129,085 |
| Fiscal & Contracting Coordinator | 1 | 16G | 12 | 57,574 | 1 | 59,445 | 12 | 59,301 |
| Legal Investigator | 1 | 16G | 12 | 57,574 | 1 | 16G | 12 | 59,301 |
| Claims Supervisor | 1 | 19G | 12 | 65,333 | 1 | 19G | 12 | 67,288 |
| Claims Specialist | 1 | 09G | 12 | 44,158 | 1 | 09G | 12 | 45,490 |
| Assistant 1, Administrative | 1 | U02-G | 12 | 39,698 | 1 | 45,000 | 12 | 45,000 |
| Legal Secretary | 1 | 15G | 12 | 54,974 | 1 | 15G | 12 | 56,618 |
| Legal Secretary | 5 | 12G | 12 | 246,792 | 5 | 12G | 12 | 254,175 |
| Assistant, Real Estate | 3 | U02-L | 12 | 130,793 | 3 | 49,050 | 12 | 147,150 |
| Manager, Office of Equal Protection | — | 22G | — | — | 1 | 22G | 12 | 76,294 |
| A.D.A. and Disability Resources Coordinator | — | 18G | — | — | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| Total Full-Time Permanent Positions | 40 | 3,402,185 | 41 | 3,557,153 |
Lists authorized positions with FTE counts and pay grades.
| Title | 2025 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2025 Budget | 2026 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2026 Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary, Part-Time, and Seasonal Allowances | ||||||||
| Law Clerk, Part-Time | — | 20.00 | 5,490 | 109,800 | — | 20.00 | 5,490 | 109,800 |
| Law Intern | — | 15.00 | — | 5,000 | — | 15.00 | — | 5,000 |
| Record Specialist, Part-Time | — | 20.60 | 1,500 | 30,900 | — | 21.22 | 1,500 | 31,827 |
| — | 145,700 | — | 146,627 | |||||
| Total Full-Time Permanent Positions | 40 | 3,402,185 | 41 | 3,557,153 | ||||
| Temporary, Part-Time, and Seasonal Allowances | — | 145,700 | — | 146,627 | ||||
| Vacancy Allowance | — | (170,109) | — | (171,814) | ||||
| Total Full-Time Positions and Net Salaries | 40 | 3,377,776 | 41 | 3,531,966 |
The Office of Equal Protection moved from the Mayor's Office to the Department of Law for 2026.
Subclass Detail
Compares actual, budgeted, and proposed spending across fiscal years.
| 2024 Actual | 2025 Budget | 2026 Budget | Increase/ (Decrease) | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | |||||
| 51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES | 2,964,256 | 3,378,385 | 3,532,719 | 154,334 | 4.6% |
| 51101 - Regular | 2,957,232 | 3,232,078 | 3,385,485 | 153,407 | |
| 51103 - Part-Time | — | 145,700 | 146,627 | 927 | |
| 51207 - Leave Buyback | 6,651 | — | — | — | |
| 51401 - Premium Pay | 373 | 607 | 607 | — | |
| 52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS | 717,819 | 811,994 | 877,472 | 65,478 | 8.1% |
| 52101 - Health Insurance | 369,799 | 417,781 | 471,827 | 54,046 | |
| 52111 - Other Insurance/Benefits | 62,120 | 64,340 | 63,219 | (1,121) | |
| 52201 - Social Security | 219,651 | 264,873 | 276,776 | 11,903 | |
| 52601 - Personal Leave Buyback | 66,249 | 65,000 | 65,650 | 650 | |
| 53 - PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL SERVICES | 1,428,735 | 1,422,975 | 1,673,899 | 250,924 | 17.6% |
| 53101 - Administrative Fees | 6,334 | 11,625 | 13,625 | 2,000 | |
| 53105 - Recording/Filing Fees | 55,673 | 48,000 | 43,000 | (5,000) | |
| 53301 - Workforce Training | 15,772 | 19,350 | 23,850 | 4,500 | |
| 53509 - Computer Maintenance | 20,336 | 89,000 | 53,424 | (35,576) | |
| 53513 - Court Related Fees | 206,701 | 175,000 | 180,000 | 5,000 | |
| 53517 - Legal Fees | 884,154 | 830,000 | 1,080,000 | 250,000 | |
| 53901 - Professional Service | 239,765 | 250,000 | 280,000 | 30,000 | |
| 55 - OTHER SERVICES | 3,090 | 900 | 2,900 | 2,000 | 222.2% |
| 55301 - Employment Related | 3,090 | 900 | 900 | — | |
| 55501 - Printing & Binding | — | — | 2,000 | 2,000 | |
| 56 - SUPPLIES | 77,146 | 94,920 | 111,645 | 16,725 | 17.6% |
| 56101 - Office Supplies | 8,371 | 8,000 | 13,000 | 5,000 | |
| 56105 - Postage | 30 | 300 | 2,300 | 2,000 | |
| 56151 - Operational Supplies | 68,745 | 86,620 | 96,345 | 9,725 | |
| 58 - MISCELLANEOUS | 5,786,526 | 1,280,000 | 9,330,550 | 8,050,550 | 628.9% |
| 58105 - Judgments | 5,786,526 | 1,280,000 | 9,330,550 | 8,050,550 | |
| Expenditures Total | 10,977,572 | 6,989,174 | 15,529,185 | 8,540,011 | 122.2% |
Five Year Forecast
DEPARTMENT OF LAW 2026 Expenditures by Subclass
51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES
52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 58 - MISCELLANEOUS 53 - PROF. & TECHNICAL SERVICES
Projects budget figures across multiple future years.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | |||||
| 51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES | 3,532,719 | 3,570,108 | 3,611,021 | 3,642,318 | 3,679,606 |
| 52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS | 877,471 | 897,353 | 918,076 | 938,350 | 960,869 |
| 53 - PROF. & TECHNICAL SERVICES | 1,673,899 | 1,673,899 | 1,673,899 | 1,673,899 | 1,673,899 |
| 55 - OTHER SERVICES | 2,900 | 2,900 | 2,900 | 2,900 | 2,900 |
| 56 - SUPPLIES | 111,645 | 93,782 | 102,420 | 102,420 | 102,420 |
| 58 - MISCELLANEOUS | 9,330,550 | 6,030,000 | 1,530,000 | 1,530,000 | 1,530,000 |
| Total | 15,529,184 | 12,268,042 | 7,838,316 | 7,889,887 | 7,949,694 |
| % Change from Prior Year | 122.2% | (21.0)% | (36.1)% | 0.7% | 0.8% |