Section 31.020 - Public advocate - Qualifications - Selection - Term - Salary - Staff(1) The Department of Public Advocacy shall consist of the public advocate, deputy public advocate, general counsel, such assistant public advocates as the public advocate shall deem necessary, and such secretarial and other personnel as the public advocate shall deem necessary.(2) The public advocate shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of three (3) attorneys submitted to him or her by the Public Advocacy Commission; shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in Kentucky with at least five (5) years experience in the practice of law; shall be excepted from the classified service; shall be the chief administrator of the Department of Public Advocacy and an appointing authority as that term is defined in KRS 18A.005; and shall serve a term of four (4) years, which is renewable, unless removed by the Governor. The incumbent public advocate shall serve until a successor is nominated by the commission and approved by the Governor. The compensation of the public advocate shall be set by the provisions of KRS 64.640.(3) The deputy public advocate shall be an attorney and shall be appointed by the public advocate and shall serve at his or her pleasure.(4) The general counsel shall be an attorney and shall be appointed by the public advocate and shall serve at his or her pleasure. The general counsel shall represent the interests of the department as directed by the public advocate.(5) The assistant public advocates shall be attorneys, shall be appointed by the public advocate, shall be covered by the merit system, and shall not be subject to the provisions of KRS 12.210.(6) Secretarial, clerical, and other personnel shall be appointed by the public advocate and shall be covered by the merit system.Amended by 2012 Ky. Acts ch. 151,§ 3, eff. 7/11/2012.Amended 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 377, sec. 1, effective 7/15/1982. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 155, sec. 20, effective 6/17/1978. -- Amended 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 74, Art. V. sec. 4; and ch. 358, sec. 1. -- Created 1972 Ky. Acts ch. 353, sec. 2.