Idaho § 67-1406 - Employment of attorneys restricted - Exemptions

§ 67-1406. Employment of attorneys restricted - Exemptions

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no department, agency, office, officers, board, commission, institution or other state entity shall be represented by or obtain its legal advice from an attorney at law other than the attorney general, except as follows:

(1) The legislative and judicial branches of government and the governor may employ attorneys other than those under the supervision of the attorney general, and such attorneys may appear in any court. However, such entities may, upon request, utilize the attorney general’s legal services.

(2) Those state entities within the department of self-governing agencies that are enumerated in section 67-2601 (2)(a), (b), (g), (h), and (i), Idaho Code, the department of lands, and colleges and universities may employ private counsel to advise them and represent them before courts of the state of Idaho. Such entities may also obtain legal services from the attorney general on such terms as the parties may agree.

(3) Whenever the attorney general determines that it is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, the attorney general may authorize contracts for legal services pursuant to the provisions of section 67-1409 , Idaho Code.

(4) The provisions of section 67-1401 , Idaho Code, shall govern the normal relationship between the attorney general and the state entities in the executive branch of state government. However, if after consultation with the attorney general the governor determines in his sole judgment, which shall not be subject to judicial review, that counsel assigned to represent or give legal advice to any state entity, other than the lieutenant governor, state controller, state treasurer, secretary of state, attorney general, and the superintendent of public instruction, cannot effectively advocate or pursue the policies of the governor, the governor shall request that other counsel be provided by the attorney general, and the attorney general shall provide from within the office of the attorney general or obtain from outside the office of the attorney general, depending on the request of the governor, qualified counsel acceptable to the governor to represent such state entity.

(5) Any separate counsel employed pursuant to the foregoing exceptions shall be compensated with funds appropriated to such state entity, unless such separate counsel shall have been employed at the request or convenience of the attorney general or because of a conflict in representation by the attorney general.

[67-1406, added 1995, ch. 141, sec. 2, p. 601; am. 2001, ch. 61, sec. 3, p. 116; am. 2021, ch. 224, sec. 24, p. 668; am. 2023, ch. 182, sec. 1, p. 496; am. 2023, ch. 220, sec. 32, p. 678; am. 2024, ch. 210, sec. 3, p. 747.]