{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1630.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1630.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1630.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1630.html"}],"law_id":84132,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84132,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1630","catch_line":"Attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities; no additional compensation for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-414; 1956, c. 590; 1962, cc. 523, 623, \u00a7 15.1-821; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 159; 1974, c. 470; 1977, c. 623; 1981, c. 296; 1983, c. 361; 1986, c. 497; 1991, c. 270; 1993, cc. 446, 620; 1994, cc. 780, 792; 1997, c. 587; 2000, c. 913.","full_text":"The voters in every city shall elect, for a term of four years, an attorney for the Commonwealth. Any city not required to have or to elect such officer prior to July 1, 1971, shall not be so required by this section. Assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth for such city. Such assistants shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed in the manner provided by law. However, volunteer assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth serving without compensation may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth without approval of the governing body or the Compensation Board. All assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth shall perform such duties as are prescribed by their respective attorney for the Commonwealth. In cities having a population of more than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law; however, this provision shall not apply in cities reaching a population of more than 35,000, which had a population of 35,000 or less immediately prior to the commencement of the term for which the attorney for the Commonwealth sought office. In cities having a population of more than 17,000 and less than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law, if the council of the city and the Compensation Board all concur that he shall so serve. The office of assistant attorney for the Commonwealth heretofore created and provided for in the charters of such cities is hereby abolished.\n\t\tNotwithstanding any other provisions of law, no attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant required to devote full time to his duties shall receive any additional compensation from the Commonwealth or any city or county for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or his assistant in any criminal prosecution or investigation.\n\t\tAny attorney for the Commonwealth who is serving full time when the population for his city declines to 35,000 or less, according to a new United States census, may elect to continue serving on a full-time basis for the remainder of his current term and any subsequent successive terms. So long as he continues to serve on a full-time basis, he shall be compensated for full-time service on the same basis as an attorney for the Commonwealth in a city having a population of 35,001.\n\t\tAny city served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth on January 1, 1993, under the provisions hereof shall continue to be served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth in the event the population of such city shall have fallen below the 17,000 population threshold in the most recent U.S. census and shall be administered in the same manner as cities with populations in excess of 17,000 but of 35,000 or less. In such jurisdictions, the attorney for the Commonwealth and his assistant attorneys and their successors in office shall be subject to the requirements regarding full-time service and part-time private practice as in effect for such positions on January 1, 1993. No further action by the council of the city or the Compensation Board shall be necessary.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":301550,"text":"The voters in every city shall elect, for a term of four years, an attorney for the Commonwealth. Any city not required to have or to elect such officer prior to July 1, 1971, shall not be so required by this section. Assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth for such city. Such assistants shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed in the manner provided by law. However, volunteer assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth serving without compensation may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth without approval of the governing body or the Compensation Board. All assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth shall perform such duties as are prescribed by their respective attorney for the Commonwealth. In cities having a population of more than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law; however, this provision shall not apply in cities reaching a population of more than 35,000, which had a population of 35,000 or less immediately prior to the commencement of the term for which the attorney for the Commonwealth sought office. In cities having a population of more than 17,000 and less than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law, if the council of the city and the Compensation Board all concur that he shall so serve. The office of assistant attorney for the Commonwealth heretofore created and provided for in the charters of such cities is hereby abolished.\n\t\tNotwithstanding any other provisions of law, no attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant required to devote full time to his duties shall receive any additional compensation from the Commonwealth or any city or county for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or his assistant in any criminal prosecution or investigation.\n\t\tAny attorney for the Commonwealth who is serving full time when the population for his city declines to 35,000 or less, according to a new United States census, may elect to continue serving on a full-time basis for the remainder of his current term and any subsequent successive terms. So long as he continues to serve on a full-time basis, he shall be compensated for full-time service on the same basis as an attorney for the Commonwealth in a city having a population of 35,001.\n\t\tAny city served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth on January 1, 1993, under the provisions hereof shall continue to be served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth in the event the population of such city shall have fallen below the 17,000 population threshold in the most recent U.S. census and shall be administered in the same manner as cities with populations in excess of 17,000 but of 35,000 or less. In such jurisdictions, the attorney for the Commonwealth and his assistant attorneys and their successors in office shall be subject to the requirements regarding full-time service and part-time private practice as in effect for such positions on January 1, 1993. No further action by the council of the city or the Compensation Board shall be necessary.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15314,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attorney for the Commonwealth","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12877,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:52","permalink":{"id":153493,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15314,"identifier":"4","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4","url":"\/15.2\/II\/16\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12877,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Constitutional Officers, Courthouses and Supplies","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":153305,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12877,"identifier":"16","token":"15.2\/II\/16","url":"\/15.2\/II\/16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12733,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":152369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12733,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62591,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1626","catch_line":"Attorney for the Commonwealth","url":"\/15.2-1626\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1626","metadata":false},{"id":84966,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627","catch_line":"Duties of attorneys for the Commonwealth and their assistants","url":"\/15.2-1627\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627","metadata":false},{"id":79840,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.1","catch_line":"Salaries of attorneys for the Commonwealth and assistants","url":"\/15.2-1627.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.1","metadata":false},{"id":84557,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.2","catch_line":"Disposition of fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth","url":"\/15.2-1627.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.2","metadata":false},{"id":65171,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.3","catch_line":"Attorneys for the Commonwealth and city attorneys; in criminal cases; when no costs or fees taxed","url":"\/15.2-1627.3\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.3","metadata":false},{"id":58304,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.4","catch_line":"(Effective September 1, 2022) Coordination of multidisciplinary response to sexual assault","url":"\/15.2-1627.4\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.4","metadata":false},{"id":79732,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.5","catch_line":"Coordination of multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults","url":"\/15.2-1627.5\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.5","metadata":false},{"id":76931,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1627.6","catch_line":"Coordination of multidisciplinary response to human trafficking","url":"\/15.2-1627.6\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1627.6","metadata":false},{"id":66955,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1628","catch_line":"Attorneys for the Commonwealth and assistants in certain counties to devote full time to duties; no additional compensation for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant","url":"\/15.2-1628\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1628","metadata":false},{"id":66628,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1629","catch_line":"Part-time attorneys for the Commonwealth in certain counties may seek full-time status","url":"\/15.2-1629\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1629","metadata":false},{"id":84132,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1630","catch_line":"Attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities; no additional compensation for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant","url":"\/15.2-1630\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1630","metadata":false},{"id":59761,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1631","catch_line":"Part-time attorneys for the Commonwealth in certain cities may seek full-time status","url":"\/15.2-1631\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1631","metadata":false},{"id":85721,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1632","catch_line":"Employment of assistants to attorneys for the Commonwealth, subject to approval of Compensation Board","url":"\/15.2-1632\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1632","metadata":false},{"id":70243,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1633","catch_line":"Part-time compensated assistants to attorneys for the Commonwealth","url":"\/15.2-1633\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1633","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66628,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1629","catch_line":"Part-time attorneys for the Commonwealth in certain counties may seek full-time status","url":"\/15.2-1629\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1629","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59761,"structure_id":15314,"section_number":"15.2-1631","catch_line":"Part-time attorneys for the Commonwealth in certain cities may seek full-time status","url":"\/15.2-1631\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1631","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1630\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 12 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1956, chapter 590; in 1962, chapters 523 and 623; in 1974, chapter 470; in 1977, chapter 623; in 1981, chapter 296; in 1983, chapter 361; in 1986, chapter 497; in 1991, chapter 270; in 1993, chapters 446 and 620; in 1994, chapters 780<\/a> and 792<\/a>; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 913<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":79840,"section_number":"15.2-1627.1","catch_line":"Salaries of attorneys for the Commonwealth and assistants","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1627.1\/"},{"id":59761,"section_number":"15.2-1631","catch_line":"Part-time attorneys for the Commonwealth in certain cities may seek full-time status","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1631\/"},{"id":70243,"section_number":"15.2-1633","catch_line":"Part-time compensated assistants to attorneys for the Commonwealth","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1633\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":153535,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84132,"identifier":"15.2-1630","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1630","url":"\/15.2-1630\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1630\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/4\/15.2-1630","dublin_core":{"Title":"Attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities; no additional compensation for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1630","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The voters<\/span> in every city<\/span> shall elect, for a term of four years, an attorney for the Commonwealth. Any city<\/span> not required to have or to elect such officer prior to July 1, 1971, shall not be so required by this section. Assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth for cities may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth for such city<\/span>. Such assistants shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed in the manner provided by law<\/span>. However, volunteer assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth serving without compensation may be appointed by the attorney for the Commonwealth without approval of the governing body<\/span> or the Compensation Board. All assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth shall perform such duties as are prescribed by their respective attorney for the Commonwealth. In cities having a population of more than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law<\/span>; however, this provision shall not apply in cities reaching a population of more than 35,000, which had a population of 35,000 or less immediately prior to the commencement of the term for which the attorney for the Commonwealth sought office. In cities having a population of more than 17,000 and less than 35,000, attorneys for the Commonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer assistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties, and shall not engage in the private practice of law<\/span>, if the council<\/span> of the city<\/span> and the Compensation Board all concur that he shall so serve. The office of assistant attorney for the Commonwealth heretofore created and provided for in the charters of such cities is hereby abolished.\n\t\tNotwithstanding any other provisions of law<\/span>, no attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant required to devote full time to his duties shall receive any additional compensation from the Commonwealth or any city<\/span> or county<\/span> for substituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or his assistant in any criminal prosecution<\/span> or investigation.\n\t\tAny attorney for the Commonwealth who is serving full time when the population for his city<\/span> declines to 35,000 or less, according to a new United States census, may elect to continue serving on a full-time basis for the remainder of his current term and any subsequent successive terms. So long as he continues to serve on a full-time basis, he shall be compensated for full-time service on the same basis as an attorney for the Commonwealth in a city<\/span> having a population of 35,001.\n\t\tAny city<\/span> served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth on January 1, 1993, under the provisions hereof shall continue to be served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth in the event the population of such city<\/span> shall have fallen below the 17,000 population threshold in the most recent U.S. census and shall be administered in the same manner as cities with populations in excess of 17,000 but of 35,000 or less. In such jurisdictions<\/span>, the attorney for the Commonwealth and his assistant attorneys and their successors in office shall be subject to the requirements regarding full-time service and part-time private practice as in effect for such positions on January 1, 1993. No further action by the council<\/span> of the city<\/span> or the Compensation Board shall be necessary.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nATTORNEYS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH FOR CITIES; NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR\nSUBSTITUTING FOR OR ASSISTING ANY OTHER ATTORNEY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OR\nASSISTANT (\u00a7 15.2-1630)\n\nThe voters in every city shall elect, for a term of four years, an attorney for\nthe Commonwealth. Any city not required to have or to elect such officer prior\nto July 1, 1971, shall not be so required by this section. Assistant attorneys\nfor the Commonwealth for cities may be appointed by the attorney for the\nCommonwealth for such city. Such assistants shall receive such compensation as\nshall be fixed in the manner provided by law. However, volunteer assistant\nattorneys for the Commonwealth serving without compensation may be appointed by\nthe attorney for the Commonwealth without approval of the governing body or the\nCompensation Board. All assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth shall perform\nsuch duties as are prescribed by their respective attorney for the Commonwealth.\nIn cities having a population of more than 35,000, attorneys for the\nCommonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer\nassistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties,\nand shall not engage in the private practice of law; however, this provision\nshall not apply in cities reaching a population of more than 35,000, which had a\npopulation of 35,000 or less immediately prior to the commencement of the term\nfor which the attorney for the Commonwealth sought office. In cities having a\npopulation of more than 17,000 and less than 35,000, attorneys for the\nCommonwealth and all assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, except volunteer\nassistants serving without compensation, shall devote full time to their duties,\nand shall not engage in the private practice of law, if the council of the city\nand the Compensation Board all concur that he shall so serve. The office of\nassistant attorney for the Commonwealth heretofore created and provided for in\nthe charters of such cities is hereby abolished.\n\t\tNotwithstanding any other provisions of law, no attorney for the Commonwealth\nor assistant required to devote full time to his duties shall receive any\nadditional compensation from the Commonwealth or any city or county for\nsubstituting for or assisting any other attorney for the Commonwealth or his\nassistant in any criminal prosecution or investigation.\n\t\tAny attorney for the Commonwealth who is serving full time when the population\nfor his city declines to 35,000 or less, according to a new United States\ncensus, may elect to continue serving on a full-time basis for the remainder of\nhis current term and any subsequent successive terms. So long as he continues to\nserve on a full-time basis, he shall be compensated for full-time service on the\nsame basis as an attorney for the Commonwealth in a city having a population of\n35,001.\n\t\tAny city served by a full-time attorney for the Commonwealth on January 1,\n1993, under the provisions hereof shall continue to be served by a full-time\nattorney for the Commonwealth in the event the population of such city shall\nhave fallen below the 17,000 population threshold in the most recent U.S. census\nand shall be administered in the same manner as cities with populations in\nexcess of 17,000 but of 35,000 or less. In such jurisdictions, the attorney for\nthe Commonwealth and his assistant attorneys and their successors in office\nshall be subject to the requirements regarding full-time service and part-time\nprivate practice as in effect for such positions on January 1, 1993. No further\naction by the council of the city or the Compensation Board shall be necessary.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-414; 1956, c. 590; 1962, cc. 523, 623, \u00a7 15.1-821;\n1971, Ex. Sess., c. 159; 1974, c. 470; 1977, c. 623; 1981, c. 296; 1983, c. 361;\n1986, c. 497; 1991, c. 270; 1993, cc. 446, 620; 1994, cc. 780, 792; 1997, c.\n587; 2000, c. 913.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}