Law Department

The Law Department, Corporation Counsel

 MESSAGE FROM THE CORPORATION COUNSEL

 

  Linda S. Kingsley    

Linda S. Kingsley

Corporation Counsel

 

 It is my honor and privilege to serve as Corporation Counsel for the City of Rochester as part of the Evans Administration. It is also my pleasure to welcome you to this site which is intended to help you understand and navigate some of the legal issues facing City of Rochester residents. I have served nearly my entire forty-year legal career in the arena of state and local government law, including previously serving as Corporation Counsel for 12 years from 1994-2005. I believe that working in local government, and specifically in local government law, allows you to accomplish tangible changes and react quickly to challenges in a way that is not available at any other level of government. I have always said that my work as Corporation Counsel for the City of Rochester was the most rewarding work of my career and I believe that now more than ever.

 

 First, let me explain about what the Law Department does. While some of our work is very visible and public, other work quietly supports the on-going operations of the City. The Department is made up of a staff of 22 including 14 attorneys, 5 paralegals and 3 support staff. We represent the City in a host of legal areas, including but not limited to: advice to the Mayor, the City Council and all City departments, agencies and boards: civil litigation (brought by the City and against the City), real estate and land use matters including eminent domain, sale and purchase of land, and tax assessment and foreclosure; labor and employment law; nuisance abatement and quality of life; economic development projects; contracts; supporting the city in critical incidents; Freedom of Information Law and a host of other areas.

 

 We represent the City and cannot give legal advice to individual residents but I do view our role as working to address problems and concerns to the benefit of the residents.  This is why nuisance abatement is at the top of my priority list. Since our arrival in January, we have closed a number of problem properties and encouraged others to operate in a way that safely serves City residents. We work in conjunction with the Neighborhood Service Centers and the Rochester Police Department to achieve those goals.

 

 While people may not always agree with what we do, it is my goal to be transparent and up front so that it is clearly understood why and how my department is taking certain actions. This site will provide you with information about the Freedom of Information Law and Open Meetings Law, the basics of how to file a claim against the City (and the reasoning behind why some claims can be paid and others cannot) as well as links to reach out to a number of other organizations that can provide support on a variety of legal issues.  

 

  To file a Notice of Claim, follow the instructions available here.

 Notice of Claim Form 

 

 To submit a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request click here.

 

 Contact Us

 

 General Information: (585) 428-6986