Utah Code Title 67. State Officers and Employees § 67-5-1.1. Written opinion to the Legislature--Rebuttable presumption
Current as of May 05, 2022 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes, a free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.
(1) When the Legislature or either house requests the attorney general's written legal opinion in accordance with Subsection 67-5-1(7):
(a) the attorney general shall, applying concepts from the Rules of Professional Conduct contained in the Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice, identify any potential conflicts of interest in providing the attorney general's legal opinion to the Legislature;
(b) if the attorney general identifies a potential conflict of interest under Subsection (1)(a), the attorney general shall, as soon as practicable after the identification:
(i) ensure that the attorney general's office provides each entity or individual involved in the potential conflict competent, privileged, and objective advice or representation by establishing:
(A) confidentiality procedures; and
(B) staffing divisions or other structural or administrative safeguards to screen attorneys participating in the preparation of the attorney general's opinion from participation on behalf of any other entity or individual involved in the potential conflict; and
(ii) provide written notice to each entity or individual involved in the potential conflict that describes the screening procedures that the attorney general establishes; and
(c) after complying with Subsections (1)(a) and (b), the attorney general shall provide the attorney general's opinion:
(i) within 30 days after the day on which the requester makes the request for the opinion; or
(ii) by a date upon which the attorney general and the requester agree.
(2) There is a presumption that:
(a) the attorney general's reasonable compliance with Subsections (1)(a) and (b) satisfies any ethical or professional obligation arising from the potential conflict of interest; and
(b) with adequate screening safeguards and procedures in place, the attorney general has an attorney-client relationship with each entity or individual involved in the potential conflict of interest.
(3)(a) The attorney general shall comply in good faith with the requirement to provide the opinion in accordance with Subsection 67-5-1(7) and this section.
(b) The attorney general may not invoke the potential conflict of interest or attorney-client privilege as grounds to withhold or refuse to provide the legal opinion required in Subsection 67-5-1(7) and this section.
(c) The Legislature or either house may petition the Utah Supreme Court for an extraordinary writ to obtain the legal opinion if the attorney general does not provide the opinion within the time period described in Subsection (1)(c).
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Utah Code Title 67. State Officers and Employees § 67-5-1.1. Written opinion to the Legislature--Rebuttable presumption - last updated May 05, 2022 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-67-state-officers-and-employees/ut-code-sect-67-5-1-1.html
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.
Was this helpful?