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the County, as had been recommended by former Council Chair Dominic Yagong.7 He <br /> explained the responsibilities of the legal services provided by the Corporation Counsel that were <br /> based on the "fundamental pillars of preventive lawyering and protective lawyering."8 <br /> Protective lawyering is the commitment made by the Corporation Counsel and his entire <br /> staff, including the clericals, accountant,professionals and attorneys,to expend resources up <br /> front to recognize and avoid unreasonable risk, which results in the avoidance of greater loss. It <br /> also involves providing non-traditional legal services to the County's employees and officials to <br /> assist them in achieving their objectives in protecting the public's interests. Early intervention <br /> will identify legal challenges and opportunities. <br /> What are some of the non-traditional legal services being provided to over 2,000 County <br /> employees and for the benefit of this island community by the Corporation Counsel that should <br /> be recognized and supported? <br /> First, the Corporation Counsel's office had provided training in a wide range of legal <br /> disciplines to the County's officials and employees. It has done so for over twelve (12) years. <br /> No other state or county legal department has provided such training for its officials and <br /> employees during the past twelve (12) years; neither has a private law firm conducted such a <br /> wide range of legal disciplines to its clients. From 2003-2009, the Corporation Counsel's office, <br /> planned, organized and provided training to County employees and officials,plus other county <br /> government attorneys and their employees and officials, at the Annual Statewide Municipal <br /> Attorneys Conference. When the effects of the"Great Recession"caused a stop to those <br /> conferences, in fiscal year 2010-2011, the Corporation Counsel's office offered and conducted <br /> 23 different classes to train 964 County employees; and in fiscal year 2011-2012, 20 different <br /> classes were offered and conducted to train 831 County employees. <br /> Second,the Corporation Counsel's offered pioneered and led this County in document <br /> imaging and management to scan, store and retrieve documents more efficiently and effectively. <br /> Third, for this island community, the Corporation Counsel's office is a leader in the State <br /> of Hawai`i ("State") among government attorneys' offices actively providing pro bono legal <br /> services to the poor. This fulfills one of the professional responsibilities that all practicing <br /> attorneys in this State must comply with under the rules of the Hawai`i Supreme Court. <br /> And fourth, each of the Corporation Council office's core group of attorneys has over <br /> eleven(11) years of legal experience. With such legal experience, the attorneys at the <br /> Corporation Council office have assisted in the various transitions in County administration <br /> and policy-making after each Mayoral and County Council elections. <br /> As a result of providing both traditional and non-traditional legal services, the <br /> Corporation Counsel's office has protected the County's interests in at least three (3) matters in <br /> fiscal year 2011-2012. First,the Corporation Counsel's office received 3,147 requests for legal <br /> assistance, ranging from document and contract drafting and review to issuing legal opinions. <br /> See April 30,2012 Minutes of the Commission Meeting,at page 1. <br /> 8 Id.,at page 1. <br /> 4 <br />