Legal

The mission of the Legal Section is to provide legal services to DOTD in support of its overall objectives. The section’s administration is responsible for issuing legal opinions for the department, its officers and employees; preparing and distributing Chief Engineer orders; and reviewing and advising on legislation. The section is divided into three units, which are listed below along with a description of their responsibilities:

• General Law Administration Unit: Rulemaking for DOTD programs; outdoor advertising and control of junkyards; Civil Service appeals and deceased employees; collection for damages to DOTD roads and bridges; legal support for public works, levee boards and other government agencies; this group is supervised by the Deputy General Counsel, who also coordinates the department’s entire legislative process, including proposed and enacted legislation.　　　　　
• Contracts & Public Works Unit: General litigation involving contract and bidding matters, collection of overpayments, liquidated damages and withholdings from contractors, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) compliance, and design defects and hazardous waste contamination pertaining to the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges; general litigation and administrative legal services involving the department and boards, commissions and political subdivisions relative to drainage and flood control and airports.　　　　
• Property Litigation Unit: Expropriation; inverse condemnation; appropriation; possessory, petitory and revocatory actions involving immovable property; encroachments; and evictions.