{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/15.2-1520.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/15.2-1520.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/15.2-1520.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/15.2-1520.html"}],"law_id":347385,"edition_id":2,"section_id":347385,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1520","catch_line":"Employment of counsel to defend localities and political subdivisions, governing bodies, officers or employees in certain proceedings; costs and expenses of such proceedings","history":"1968, c. 23, \u00a7 15.1-19.2; 1976, c. 544; 1977, c. 47; 1978, c. 442; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, general or special, a locality, or political subdivision of such locality may employ the county, city or town attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth, if there be no county, city or town attorney, or other counsel approved by the governing body to defend it, or any member thereof, or any officer of the locality, or political subdivision or employee thereof, or any trustee or member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body in any legal proceeding to which the governing body, or any member thereof, or any of the foregoing named persons may be a defendant, when such proceeding is instituted against it, or them by virtue of any actions in furtherance of their duties in serving the locality or political subdivision as its governing body or as members thereof or the duties or service of any officer or employee of the locality or political subdivision or any trustee or any member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body.\n\nAll costs and expenses of such proceedings so defended shall be charged against the treasury of the locality, or political subdivision and shall be paid out of funds provided therefor by the governing body thereof. Further, in the event any settlement is agreed upon or judgment is rendered against any of the foregoing persons or governing body, the governing body may, in its discretion, pay such settlement or judgment from public funds or other funds or in connection with all of the foregoing may expend public or other funds for insurance or to establish and maintain a self-insurance program to cover such risks or liability.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1296144,"text":"Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, general or special, a locality, or political subdivision of such locality may employ the county, city or town attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth, if there be no county, city or town attorney, or other counsel approved by the governing body to defend it, or any member thereof, or any officer of the locality, or political subdivision or employee thereof, or any trustee or member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body in any legal proceeding to which the governing body, or any member thereof, or any of the foregoing named persons may be a defendant, when such proceeding is instituted against it, or them by virtue of any actions in furtherance of their duties in serving the locality or political subdivision as its governing body or as members thereof or the duties or service of any officer or employee of the locality or political subdivision or any trustee or any member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1296145,"text":"All costs and expenses of such proceedings so defended shall be charged against the treasury of the locality, or political subdivision and shall be paid out of funds provided therefor by the governing body thereof. Further, in the event any settlement is agreed upon or judgment is rendered against any of the foregoing persons or governing body, the governing body may, in its discretion, pay such settlement or judgment from public funds or other funds or in connection with all of the foregoing may expend public or other funds for insurance or to establish and maintain a self-insurance program to cover such risks or liability.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":49856,"edition_id":2,"name":"Insurance and Legal Defense","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":3,"parent_id":49853,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:44","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:29","permalink":{"id":1380151,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49856,"identifier":"3","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3","url":"\/15.2\/II\/15\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49853,"edition_id":2,"name":"Local Government Personnel, Qualification for Office, Bonds, Dual Office Holding and Certain Local Government Officers","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":49834,"metadata":{"child_laws":71,"child_structures":8},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:28","permalink":{"id":1380005,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49853,"identifier":"15","token":"15.2\/II\/15","url":"\/15.2\/II\/15\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49834,"edition_id":2,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":49831,"metadata":{"child_laws":1081,"child_structures":112},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:25","permalink":{"id":1379371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49834,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49831,"edition_id":2,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":46,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":2297,"child_structures":225},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:22","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:22","permalink":{"id":1378281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49831,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":347382,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1517","catch_line":"Insurance for employees and retired employees of localities and other local governmental entities; participation by certain volunteers","url":"\/15.2-1517\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1517","metadata":false},{"id":347381,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1517.1","catch_line":"Formation of not-for-profit benefits consortium","url":"\/15.2-1517.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1517.1","metadata":false},{"id":347383,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1518","catch_line":"Liability insurance for officers, employees and volunteers of local government and members of its boards and commissions and constitutional officers","url":"\/15.2-1518\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1518","metadata":false},{"id":347384,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1519","catch_line":"Liability insurance for employees of local departments and boards of welfare and social services; legal representation","url":"\/15.2-1519\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1519","metadata":false},{"id":347385,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1520","catch_line":"Employment of counsel to defend localities and political subdivisions, governing bodies, officers or employees in certain proceedings; costs and expenses of such proceedings","url":"\/15.2-1520\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1520","metadata":false},{"id":347386,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1521","catch_line":"Providing legal fees and expenses for officer or employee of county, city or town in certain proceedings","url":"\/15.2-1521\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1521","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":347384,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1519","catch_line":"Liability insurance for employees of local departments and boards of welfare and social services; legal representation","url":"\/15.2-1519\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1519","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":347386,"structure_id":49856,"section_number":"15.2-1521","catch_line":"Providing legal fees and expenses for officer or employee of county, city or town in certain proceedings","url":"\/15.2-1521\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1521","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1520\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1968. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 23 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1968 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1976, chapter 544; in 1977, chapter 47; in 1978, chapter 442; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1380169,"object_type":"law","relational_id":347385,"identifier":"15.2-1520","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1520","url":"\/15.2-1520\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1520\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/3\/15.2-1520","dublin_core":{"Title":"Employment of counsel to defend localities and political subdivisions, governing bodies, officers or employees in certain proceedings; costs and expenses of such proceedings","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1520","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Notwithstanding any provision of law<\/span> to the contrary, general or special, a locality<\/span>, or political subdivision of such locality<\/span> may employ the county<\/span>, city<\/span> or town<\/span> attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth, if there be no county<\/span>, city<\/span> or town<\/span> attorney, or other counsel<\/span> approved by the governing body<\/span> to defend it, or any member thereof, or any officer of the locality<\/span>, or political subdivision or employee thereof, or any trustee or member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body<\/span> in any legal proceeding to which the governing body<\/span>, or any member thereof, or any of the foregoing named persons may be a defendant<\/span>, when such proceeding is instituted against it, or them by virtue of any actions in furtherance of their duties in serving the locality<\/span> or political subdivision as its governing body<\/span> or as members thereof or the duties or service of any officer or employee of the locality<\/span> or political subdivision or any trustee or any member of any board or commission appointed by the governing body<\/span>.<\/p>

All costs and expenses of such proceedings so defended shall be charged against the treasury of the locality<\/span>, or political subdivision and shall be paid out of funds provided therefor by the governing body<\/span> thereof. Further, in the event any settlement<\/span> is agreed upon or judgment<\/span> is rendered against any of the foregoing persons or governing body<\/span>, the governing body<\/span> may, in its discretion, pay such settlement<\/span> or judgment<\/span> from public funds or other funds or in connection with all of the foregoing may expend public or other funds for insurance or to establish and maintain a self-insurance program to cover such risks or liability.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nEMPLOYMENT OF COUNSEL TO DEFEND LOCALITIES AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, GOVERNING\nBODIES, OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES IN CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS; COSTS AND EXPENSES OF SUCH\nPROCEEDINGS (\u00a7 15.2-1520)\n\nNotwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, general or special, a\nlocality, or political subdivision of such locality may employ the county, city\nor town attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth, if there be no county,\ncity or town attorney, or other counsel approved by the governing body to defend\nit, or any member thereof, or any officer of the locality, or political\nsubdivision or employee thereof, or any trustee or member of any board or\ncommission appointed by the governing body in any legal proceeding to which the\ngoverning body, or any member thereof, or any of the foregoing named persons may\nbe a defendant, when such proceeding is instituted against it, or them by virtue\nof any actions in furtherance of their duties in serving the locality or\npolitical subdivision as its governing body or as members thereof or the duties\nor service of any officer or employee of the locality or political subdivision\nor any trustee or any member of any board or commission appointed by the\ngoverning body.\n\nAll costs and expenses of such proceedings so defended shall be charged against\nthe treasury of the locality, or political subdivision and shall be paid out of\nfunds provided therefor by the governing body thereof. Further, in the event any\nsettlement is agreed upon or judgment is rendered against any of the foregoing\npersons or governing body, the governing body may, in its discretion, pay such\nsettlement or judgment from public funds or other funds or in connection with\nall of the foregoing may expend public or other funds for insurance or to\nestablish and maintain a self-insurance program to cover such risks or\nliability.\n\nHISTORY: 1968, c. 23, \u00a7 15.1-19.2; 1976, c. 544; 1977, c. 47; 1978, c. 442;\n1997, c. 587.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}