60 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 23

185B. Powers and Duties. The County Solicitor shall be
the legal advisor of the County and of its several departments
and agencies, including the Board of License Commissioners,
the office of the County Treasurer, the County Board of Educa-
tion, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the County Welfare Board,
and all other departments, commissions, boards and agencies,
having general supervision and direction of the legal business
thereof. No such department, commission, board or other
agency created or existing for the public duties of the County
shall have any authority or power to employ or retain any
legal counsel other than the County Solicitor. He shall upon
request give advice and opinions upon any legal questions
affecting the interests of the County, when the same are sub-
mitted to him by any County officer or the head of any County
department, office, commission, board or agency. All deeds,
bonds, contracts, releases and other legal papers and instru-
ments involving the interests of the County or to be executed
and approved by any officer of the County, shall be submitted
to the County Solicitor before they are approved or executed,
and approved by him as to their sufficiency and compliance
with the laws and conditions under which executed.

185C. Suits. The County Solicitor shall have sole charge
and direction of the preparation and trial of all suits, actions
and legal proceedings of every kind to which the County or
any department, officer, commission, board or agency thereof
as such shall be a party. He shall have authority to institute,
de-fend, or discontinue on behalf of the County, any suit, action
or legal proceedings in any local, State or Federal court or
before any administrative agency thereof. Provided, however,
that no appeals on behalf of the County shall be taken to the
Court of Appeals of Maryland, to the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals, or to the Supreme Court of the United States
except upon the written order of the County Solicitor, ap-
proved by the County Commissioners.

185D. Assistants. The County Solicitor, with the approval
of the County Commissioners, may appoint such number of
assistants to the County Solicitor as in their judgment shall
be necessary for the proper conduct of the public business, and
at such compensation as may be set by the County Commis-
sioners from time to time. The said assistant or assistants
shall be under the supervision and direction of the County
Solicitor, in the conduct and performance of the legal business
of the County.

185E. Miscellaneous. Neither the County Solicitor nor any
assistant in his office may at any time practice as an attorney
before any such department, commission, board or agency