2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 1 - Government Organization › Chapter 6 - Merit Personnel System › Subchapter VIII-B - Government Attorneys › Part A - General › § 1–608.53. Creation of the Senior Executive Attorney Service

§ 1–608.53. Creation of the Senior Executive Attorney Service.
(a) A Senior Executive Attorney Service is established as part of the Legal Service. The Senior Executive Attorney Service shall be administered to assure that Senior Executive Attorneys are accountable and responsible for the effectiveness and productivity of employees under their supervision.
(b) Notwithstanding subchapter XVI-A of this chapter, an appointment to the Senior Executive Attorney Service shall be at will employment, or as provided by statute for a term of years, subject to removal for cause as may be provided in the appointing statute.
(c) A Senior Executive Attorney who is to be removed or whose grade is to be reduced may be appointed, at the discretion of the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel or Attorney General, to a position in the Legal Service which is available and for which the attorney is qualified, if the removal or reduction in grade is not for delinquency or misconduct.
(d) A Senior Executive Attorney employed by the Office of the Attorney General shall serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General. A Senior Executive Attorney employed by a subordinate agency shall serve at the pleasure of the head of the subordinate agency. A Senior Executive Attorney employed by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel shall serve at the pleasure of the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel.
(e) A Senior Executive Attorney employed by a subordinate agency shall serve at the pleasure of the head of the subordinate agency, and the subordinate agency head shall consult with the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel before making any decision concerning the termination of a Senior Executive Attorney.
(f) A Senior Executive Attorney employed by an independent agency shall serve at the pleasure of the agency head, or as provided by statute for a term of years, subject to removal for cause as may be provided in the appointing statute.
(g) Persons currently holding an appointment in the Excepted Service which meet the definition of a Senior Executive Attorney Service position as defined in § 1-608.51(3) shall be appointed to the Senior Executive Attorney Service unless the employee declines the appointment. A person who declines this appointment shall be appointed within 3 months to another position in the Legal Service if a vacant position for which the employee qualifies is available and is acceptable to the employee.
(h) An individual appointed to the Senior Executive Attorney Service shall be paid separation pay of up to 12 weeks of his or her basic pay upon separation for non-disciplinary reasons.
(Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-139, § 853; as added Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-260, § 2(j), 46 DCR 1318; Apr. 12, 2000. D.C. Law 13-91, § 110(b), 47 DCR 520; Oct. 20, 2005, D.C. Law 16-33, § 3012(c), 52 DCR 7503; Apr. 7, 2006, D.C. Law 16-91, § 121, 52 DCR 10637; Mar. 2, 2007, D.C. Law 16-191, § 5(p)(2), 53 DCR 6794; Dec. 13, 2013, D.C. Law 20-60, § 101(c), 60 DCR 15487.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-609.53.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 1-608.59, § 2-1831.08, and § 34-804.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 13-91 rewrote subsec. (b), which previously read:
“An appointment to the Senior Executive Attorney Service shall be at-will employment.”; and in subsec. (f), added “, or as provided by statute for a term of years, subject to removal for cause as may be provided in the appointing statute”.
D.C. Law 16-33, in subsecs. (a) through (d), substituted “Attorney General” for “Corporation Counsel”; and rewrote subsec. (e).
D.C. Law 16-91, in subsecs. (a) through (d), validated previously made technical corrections.
D.C. Law 16-191, in subsecs. (a) to (d), validated previously made technical corrections.
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 20-60 substituted “Director of the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel or Attorney General” for “Attorney General” in (c); added the last two sentences in (d); and rewrote (e).
Emergency Legislation
For temporary addition of subchapter, see note to § 1-608.51.
For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 3(a) of the Legal Services Clarification and Technical Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-203, December 8, 1999, 46 DCR 10456).
For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 3(a) of the Legal Services Clarification and Technical Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Act 13-293, March 7, 2000, 47 DCR 2063).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3012(c) of Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-168, July 26, 2005, 52 DCR 7667).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of D.C. Law 20-60, § 401(a), see §§ 1013, 1014(b), and 1014(c) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-377, July 14, 2014, 61 DCR 7598, 20 STAT 3696).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of D.C. Law 20-60, § 401(a), see §§ 1013, 1014(b), and 1014(c) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-449, October 10, 2014, 61 DCR 10915, 20 STAT 4188).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of D.C. Law 20-60, § 401(a), see §§ 1013, 1014(b), and 1014(c) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Second Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-566, Jan. 9, 2015, 62 DCR 884, 21 STAT 541).
For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 20-155, § 1014(c), see § 7002 of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-127, July 27, 2015, 62 DCR 10201).
Editor's Notes
Applicability of D.C. Law 20-60: Section 401(a) of D.C. Law 20-60 provided that § 101 of the act shall apply as of October 1, 2014.
Applicability of D.C. Law 20-60: Section 1013 of D.C. Law 20-155 amended D.C. Law 20-60 to provide that D.C. Law 20-60, §  101, shall apply as of October 1, 2018; Section 1014(b) of D.C. Law 20-155 amended D.C. Law 20-60 to provide that D.C. Law 20-60, §  101, shall apply as of October 1, 2014.
Applicability of D.C. Law 20-155: Section 1014(c) of D.C. Law 20-155 provided that § 1014 of the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register.
Section 7002 of D.C. Law 21-36 repealed D.C. Law 20-155, §  1014(c).