Houston, Texas-- The City of Houston's Legal department
gets high grades according to an independent performance
review released today by Mayor Lee P. Brown and
City Controller Sylvia R. Garcia. The review was
managed by the office of the Mayor and the Office
of the City Controller and performed by the legal
management-consulting firm of Altman Weil, Inc.
According to the report, the City of Houston's
Legal Department is "well managed, professional,
cost-effective, and provides high quality leagl
services, consistent with the best government law
offices across the country."
The focus of the review covered the following
key areas:
- Overall quality of legal function
- Cost Effecitveness
- Systems, procedures and management reporting
- Issues relating to outside counsel
- Productivity
- Compensation and professional development
The report included interviews and/or surveys
with attorneys, staff members, and key clients of
the Legal Department.
Says City Controller Garcia; "These reports are
essential in managing the operations of our City.
They help evaluate each department's performance
so we can provide the best possible services to
our taxpayers".
