Welcome
The City of Great Falls is the third largest city in Montana with an area of over 22 square miles. As your City Attorney, I can assure you that our office is committed to providing the City of Great Falls and its people with the highest caliber of legal representation and professionalism to help protect the health, safety, welfare, and civil rights of all.
It is my pleasure to offer this website as a means to make the Legal Department more open and accessible to the people it serves.
You can trust that our office will be accountable to the people of Great Falls. I will strive to ensure that my office always represents the public's interest.
Thanks for visiting!
James W. Santoro
The Legal Services Department is divided into two major sections:
Civil Division
The Civil Division represents the City in lawsuits and advises City officials as they develop programs, projects, policies, and legislation. The sections within the Civil Division include torts (claims), land use, environment, labor and employment, contracts, utilities and other municipality issues.
Criminal Division
The Criminal Division represents the City in prosecuting traffic infractions, misdemeanors, and gross misdemeanors in the Great Falls Municipal Court. The types of cases prosecuted by the Criminal Division include driving under the influence, traffic infractions, misdemeanor domestic violence, misdemeanor theft and trespassing.
About James W. Santoro
James Santoro worked in the private and public sector as an attorney in Montana and Washington for almost 16 years before he was appointed the City Attorney in February 2010. James graduated from Pacific University in 1980 with a B.S. degree in Vision Science and with an O.D. degree in 1983.
He worked in the health profession before entering Seattle University School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1994.
Prior to joining the City Attorney’s Office, James served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Montana Governor’s Office. Before serving in the Governor’s Office, he was a Special Assistant Attorney General with the Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division.
