The new year for Westminster city government will begin with new municipal attorneys for the first time in 30 years.

At the first meeting of the Westminster mayor and Common Council for 2010, the city announced the appointment of Elissa Levan and Karen Plumer Ruff to take the place of Westminster city attorney John Walsh, who retired in December after serving for more than 30 years.

The city’s process for finding a new attorney began last November. Westminster council president Damian Halstad introduced both attorneys who were in attendance for the council meeting.

“We welcome them and look forward to a long relationship because we sure don't like interviewing lawyers,” he quipped. “The last one we kept for what, 30 years?”

Levan and Karen Plumer Ruff are both from Funk & Bolton, P.A., a Mid-Atlantic-based law firm practicing primarily in commercial litigation, insurance regulation, government relations, local government law and creditors' rights.

Levan will be designated the city attorney and Ruff will serve to “provide backup representation. … Levan will have the overall responsibility of coordinating the legal services to the city.”

Funk & Bolton announced in April 2009 that Levan had rejoined the firm after a year as a Maryland Assistant Attorney General. Levan’s Web biography indicates that she “has been representing governmental clients since 1992, when, after a few years at other firms, she joined Levan, Schimel, Belman & Abramson, P.A. in Howard County.

“Levan has been active for many years in the Maryland Municipal Attorney's Association and served, among other capacities, for several years as its liaison to the Maryland Municipal League's Legislative Committee. She has also been a member of the Maryland State Bar Association's Local Government and Administrative Law Sections, for both of which sections she has served on the governing Councils. She is currently completing her term as Chair of the Administrative Law Section (2008-09).

Levan is a 1985 graduate, with distinction, from University of Michigan. She was awarded her J.D. from George Washington Law School, where she graduated with honors in 1988.

Ruff's Web site bio indicates she began her career in the area of zoning and land use law at Zanecki, Lally and McDonough, in Prince George's County. In 1989, she joined the Howard County firm of Levan, Schimel, Belman & Abramson, P.A.

Ruff has been a member of the Maryland Municipal Attorney's Association of the Maryland Municipal League for many years. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Anne Arundel County Bar Association.

Ruff earned her J.D from Catholic University of America in 1987, and graduated with a B.A. cum laude, from LaSalle University in 1984.

Halstad later indicated that Funk & Bolton will charge the city a rate of $150 per hour, which is a slight increase over the $125 an hour charged by the previous city attorney.

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