The Solicitor General Division, under the supervision of the Solicitor General, represents the Government of the Virgin Islands in all appeals involving criminal and civil matters and all writs before the Appellate Division of the District Court of the Virgin Islands, the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Assistant Attorneys General assigned to this division are responsible for drafting regulations, contracts and leases in which the Government of the Virgin Islands has an interest. In addition, the attorneys research legal issues and provide legal advice to all executive departments, boards and commissions. These duties also include the rendering of legal opinions of the Attorney General regarding legal questions relating to the exercise of the powers or duties of any Government department, board or commission. The Solicitor General Division is also responsible for establishing procedures for the approval of all government contracts and applying these procedures when reviewing, for legal sufficiency, all legal instruments prepared by other government attorneys.
Moreover, attorneys in this division represent all departments and agencies of the executive branch in administrative proceedings before the Public Employees Relations Board and in all appeals proceedings involving the enforcement of administrative orders before the courts of the Virgin Islands. Additionally, this division is tasked with the responsibility of enforcing Chapter 37 of Title 3 of the Virgin Islands Code regarding ethics and conflict of interest laws and regulations. Also, the attorneys in this division act as legal counsels for the Board of Land Use Appeals, the Parole Board, the Civil Rights Commission and all executive branch boards and commissions.
FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions)
The Solicitor General Division is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of legal holidays and days when the employees of the Government of the Virgin Islands are granted administrative leave.
No. The Solicitor General Division provides legal advice only to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Executive Branch agencies and all Government of the Virgin Islands Boards and Commissions.
Yes. Part One of the two part Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement is made available during office hours to responsible public inquiry. All inquiries are subject to regulations issued by the Attorney General, which shall require at a minimum, but not necessarily be limited to: identification, occupation, address, and telephone number of each person examining the information filed under Part One of the Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement, and the reason for each inquiry.
No. While the Parole Board is located within the Solicitor General Division for administrative purposes only, the Parole Board makes all decisions regarding requests for parole.
No. The Solicitor General Division communicates only with the Department of Property & Procurement regarding contracts which are being considered for a certification of legal sufficiency. In rare instances, the Solicitor General Division may communicate with the agency that has submitted the contract through the Department of Property & Procurement . As a general rule, the Division does not communicate directly with contractors.