Taichung's city government is putting salaried lawyers on staff to fight its own court cases, a cost-saving move for the city and a sign of how big its construction disputes have become.

• Starting October 1, Taichung will place staff lawyers inside its construction bureau to handle lawsuits and state compensation claims.
• It is the first local government in Taiwan to do this, following a change in the national lawyer law that lets agencies employ their own attorneys.
• Applicants need a law license and two years of practice; pay is set above the usual civil service grade, topping NT$100,000 a month with bonuses and a fee for each court appearance.
• The reason is money: public works budgets now run into the tens of billions, bringing constant fights over contracts and procurement.
• In-house lawyers can argue in court, unlike the legal staff already on the payroll, so the city stops hiring outside firms case by case.

Outlook: Recruiting starts in September, and the city will watch whether having its own lawyers cuts the number of lawsuits it faces.