City Attorney's Office

The City Attorney’s Office, also known as the City’s Law Department, provides a wide range of legal services to City government and the Portsmouth School Division.  Various members of the office provide legal advice to City Council, the City Manager, and many other city and school officials.  Some of the services provided by the office are as follows:

• drafting ordinances and resolutions for consideration by City Council
• parliamentary rulings for City Council
• representing the School Board, the School Superintendent, and the School Division on educational issues
• defending all lawsuits brought against the City and its officials and employees, both in state court and in federal court
• defending discrimination complaints and EEOC proceedings
• giving pro-active advice aimed at preventing claims, complaints and lawsuits
• reviewing and drafting contracts for many subjects
• handling title searches and real estate purchases and sales, including contracts and closings
• environmental law
• legal work for large, complex development projects
• zoning and planning law, including representation of the Planning Commission
• representing neighborhoods and communities in proceedings involving ABC licensees
• community quality enforcement of zoning code and building maintenance code
• dealings with state agencies, including VDOT and DEQ
• assistance with legislation during the General Assembly
• representing the Department of Social Services in cases involving child abuse, child custody, foster care, placement, and adult services
• construction law and construction litigation
• administration of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the Virginia State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act
• cooperation with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Portsmouth Industrial Development Authority

Members of the office have previously served as President of the Virginia Local Government Attorneys Association, President of the Virginia School Board Attorneys Association, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Virginia State Bar, and President of the Local Government Paralegal Association of Virginia.  The members of the City Attorney’s Office are:

G. Timothy Oksman, City Attorney
George M. Willson, Senior Deputy City Attorney
Alfred W. Bates, III, Deputy City Attorney
Nancy B. Cherry, Assistant City Attorney
W. Eugene White, Assistant City Attorney
Sheila C. Riddick, Assistant City Attorney
Sue T. Stublen, Paralegal
Kathleen Smith, Legal Secretary
Ella Hayes, Legal Secretary
Tobie Cioccia, Paralegal

The City Attorney’s Office aims to be guided by the following words of Thomas Jefferson:

“[A]ll that [is] necessary to establish our credit [is] an efficient government and an honest one.”