The City Attorney is appointed by the City Council to be legal advisor to the City government.  The City Attorney’s Office provides legal advice to City Council, Boards and Commissions, the City Manager and City Departments.  The City Attorneys are responsible for drafting ordinances, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal papers. The office represents the City in civil court to defend the City in actions taken against it and to initiate cases to enforce the City’s laws and actions.  The office is also responsible for handling requests for public records, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and for serving as an adjudicator for parking ticket disputes.

Joanna Anderson was appointed by the City Council as the City Attorney in October 2018.  Prior to her appointment, Ms. Anderson was the Deputy City Attorney since February 2016 and an Assistant City Attorney since March 2010.  Ms. Anderson worked as an associate attorney with a Virginia law firm working on land use matters from 2005 until 2010.  Ms. Anderson started her legal career in the Alexandria City Attorney's Office in 2001 first as an intern and then as an Assistant City Attorney until 2005.  Ms. Anderson is a member of the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Attorneys Group.  Ms. Anderson holds a B.A. in History from the University of New Hampshire and a J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law.

The City Attorney’s Office has three Deputy City Attorneys, two Senior Assistant City Attorneys and ten Assistant City Attorneys.  The office is made up of three groups of lawyers representing departments who provide City Services, Internal Services and Land Use and Legislative Services.  Our organizational chart can be found here.  See about our office for more information

The City offers two ways to contest a parking citation: 

1. If the citation was issued due to an error on the City's part, as defined by the conditions below, the registered vehicle owner or their designee may request an administrative review by the City’s Parking Adjudication Office within 10 calendar days of the issue date.
2. If you believe the ticket is invalid for some other reason, or disagree with the Parking Adjudication Office’s ruling, you may appeal the citation to Alexandria General District Court.

If you feel a citation was issued due to an administrative error, a dispute claim can be processed on this page [LINK: https://www.alexandriava.gov/ParkingCitations]. 

You may request a record by any means, although it is helpful to put your request in writing. 

• You may submit your request online, or check the status of a request you have submitted online. 
• When submitting your request by mail, please direct it to:
  • Office of the City Attorney
    301 King Street, Suite 1300
    P. O. Box 178
    Alexandria, Virginia 22313
• To make a request via telephone, please call 703.746.3750.
• To submit a request via facsimile, send your request to 703.838.4810.
• To make a request by email: FOIArequests@alexandriava.gov 

Please visit Risk Management.