Leonard Schneider has served as the city attorney in Magnolia for over 10 years and advises the city on ordinances, local government codes and regulations. Schneider is a nonequity partner at the Liles Parker PLC law firm in Houston. In addition to his work in Magnolia, he advises several cities outside the Greater Houston area including Splendora, Huntsville, Plum Grove, Woodbranch Village and Mont Belvieu.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Texas State University—before it was renamed as Texas State University—and received his law degree from South Texas College of Law. Schneider and his wife live in Porter and have two daughters and three dogs.

How long have you been working with the city, and what did you do before?

I was licensed by the [State Bar of Texas] in 1991 and began working as the city attorney in the city of Magnolia back in 2004. Prior to that time, I focused mainly on business litigation and collection work, and I also served for one year as an assistant district attorney [in Galveston County].

How did you become a city attorney?

I started doing municipal legal work when I was requested to assist in some litigation against the city of Mont Belvieu and based on my work, I was asked to assist their economic development corporation and it just mushroomed from there.

What are some of the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?

As the city attorney, I act like a corporate attorney for a regular business. I review contracts, assist in drafting agendas, help in the calling of local elections, [and] draft ordinances and resolutions that govern city business and regulations.

I also assist with the city’s 4A and 4B economic development corporations and answer general questions from staff and the City Council regarding laws and statues that affect cities. 

What does your job entail that most people do not get to see?

I regularly interact with City Council and city staff on documents and questions regarding development and any other legal questions they have regarding city government.

What is the most interesting aspect of your job?

There’s always a new question or challenge, and there’s always unique situations and applications of the law in various situations, so it’s never boring. Another favorite aspect of mine is working with all of the city staff and City Council members. Over the years, you get to meet and work with a lot of good individuals.

What are some legal challenges the city will face in the future?

There won’t necessarily be legal challenges; the challenges will have to do more with policy and the city will have to decide what direction it wants to go in for the future. Right now, the city is a Type-A general law city [because the city population is less than 5,000 residents]. Obviously with the rate of growth going on and the people coming to the city, [Magnolia will] hit the population number [of more than 5,000] that will make them a home rule city. Once they hit that number, they will be able to accomplish more and do more than what a general law city is enabled to do. They’ll also have to prepare for the population growth with the basic provision of city services, such as water, sewer services, trash pickup, police protection, roads and ditch maintenance.

These are just some of the basic services citizens take for granted or come to expect from the city everyday.