There shall be an Office of Attorney. The Attorney, by virtue of his or her office, shall direct the activities of the Office. He or she shall be appointed by the Council to serve at its pleasure. During his or her appointment he or she shall be duly admitted to the practice of law in this state.
The Attorney shall be the legal advisor to the Council, Manager, departments and other municipal agencies, except as otherwise may be provided by law and the Charter. He or she shall prosecute and defend actions and proceedings by and against the Township, departments, officers and agencies thereof. In furtherance of these powers and without limitation thereof, he or she shall:
A. 
Draft or review and approve as to form and sufficiency all legal documents, contracts, deeds, bonds, ordinances and substantive resolutions made, executed or adopted by or on behalf of the Township.
B. 
Represent the Township in all judicial and administrative proceedings in which the Township or any of its officers or agencies may be a party or have an interest, and conduct prosecutions for crimes and offenses over which the Municipal Court of Maple Shade has jurisdiction.
C. 
Have power to enter into any agreement, compromise or settlement of any litigation in which the Township is involved, subject to the approval of Council.
D. 
Have such other and different functions, powers and duties as may be provided by Charter or ordinance or as otherwise indicated by Council.
Whenever the Attorney deems the interests of the Township to so require, the Council, within the limits of available appropriations, may appoint special counsel to assist him or her in the preparation, trial or argument of such legal matters or proceedings as he or she may determine. If the Attorney should be disqualified with respect to any matter, the Council shall appoint special counsel to represent the Township for and with respect to such matter. The Council may appoint special counsel to represent boards, agencies or projects where independent counsel is required. The Council may also appoint and provide the compensation for a special counsel for indigent defendants in Municipal Court proceedings.
All papers, documents, memoranda, reports and other materials relating to the administration of the office of Attorney shall be and remain the property of the Township. Upon the termination of his or her service with the Township, the Attorney shall forthwith surrender to his or her successor all such property, together with a written consent to substitution of his or her successor in all legal actions and proceedings then pending to which the Township is a party. However, the Township Council may permit the former Attorney to remain as attorney of record to represent the Township in those matters as to which the Township Council believes the best interests of the Township will be served by retaining the former Attorney.