Montana Title 7. Local Government § 7-4-2704. Limitations on activities of county attorneys and deputy county attorneys

(1) The county attorney, except for the county attorney's personally rendered services, may not present a claim, account, or other demand for allowance against the county or in any way advocate the relief asked on the claim or demand made by another.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (4), in each county in which the office of county attorney is a full-time position pursuant to 7-4-2706, the county attorney is prohibited from engaging in the private practice of law or sharing directly or indirectly in the profits of any private practice of law, except that the county attorney may engage in self-representation and may represent the county attorney's immediate family.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), a deputy county attorney in a county in which the office of county attorney is a full-time position pursuant to 7-4-2706 who is paid 70% or more of the county attorney's salary is prohibited from engaging in the private practice of law or sharing directly or indirectly in the profits of any private practice of law, except as to those matters in which the deputy county attorney has a direct interest.

(4) Any elected or appointed county attorney and any deputy county attorney must, upon demonstration of need to the board of county commissioners, be granted a period of time, not to exceed 3 months from the date that the person takes office, to complete any pending matters remaining from a previous private practice of law. During that time, the county attorney and any appointed deputy are bound by the customary rules of ethics applicable to attorneys at law.