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Lawrence Garcia, Esq.
Corporation Counsel — City of Detroit Law Department
Lawrence García is the Corporation Counsel for Detroit, Michigan. As the leader of the City’s Law Department, he represents Detroit in all legal actions or proceedings filed by or against the City, including the recovery of fines, penalties, and forfeitures. Under García’s direction, the Law Department provides advice and opinions to the Mayor, City Council, and all city agencies. The office also handles the drafting of ordinances or resolutions for City Council, as well as processing contracts, bonds, and written instruments.
As Detroit’s principal attorney, Lawrence has worked to reduce the City’s liability in tort and negligence claims through diligent risk avoidance and strong advocacy in court. During his tenure, the City has reduced the amounts paid out on liability claims by millions of dollars against historical averages.
García has extensive experience as a courtroom advocate, having litigated a wide variety of legal matters on behalf of Michigan institutions, social service organizations, and service-minded businesses since becoming a lawyer in 1995. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a former president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Michigan. In 2011, he formed the García Law Group, PLLC and created Michigan’s first Latino law firm.
Born in Memphis, García proudly comes from a Colombian and Irish-American family. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Duke University and his Juris doctorate at the University of Michigan Law School.
