Reading Room Document

Relationship Between Department of Justice Attorneys and Persons on Whose Behalf the United States Brings Suits Under the Fair Housing Act

When the Department of Justice undertakes a civil action on behalf of a complainant alleging a discriminatory housing practice under the Fair Housing Act, Department attorneys handling the action do not enter into an attomey-client relationship with the complainant, nor do they undertake a fiduciary obligation to the complainant. Because no attomey-client relationship is established in such undertakings, no retainer agreement between the complainant and the Department attorneys should be entered into. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/20266/download.

January 20, 1995