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Document Management Software Grants

Document management software is critical to the effective, efficient analysis and organization of email and other documents in large cases. The State Center has made grants in 2008 and 2009 to two separate multistate working groups to enable them to utilize and evaluate cutting edge document management software. One grant was made in connection with an antitrust litigation and the other with respect to a merger investigation.

Undercover Phone Lines

The State Center made grants to two states to enable them to set up undercover phone lines to aid in the detection of telemarketing fraud and fraudulent charitable solicitations. It is hoped that these phone lines will ultimately be self-supporting from costs recovered in connection with their use and will serve as templates for similar initiatives by additional states.

Educational and Litigation Grants

Two grants awarded in early 2009 are examples of the types of projects supported by the State Center. One grant was made to NAAG to enable state assistant attorneys general to attend a conference on antitrust enforcement in the pharmaceutical industry co-sponsored by the University of San Francisco Law School and the American Antitrust Institute. Another grant was made to enable a state attorney general’s office to retain the services of a nationally recognized expert witness in a litigation brought against a large company charged with improper use of telemarketing, direct mail and the Internet to defraud consumers in the state.

Northwest Consumer Protection Conference

On July 30, 2009, in Seattle, Washington the State Center sponsored the fourth in its series of regional Consumer Protection conferences. There were more than 30 attendees from the Consumer Protection Divisions of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and California and the Northwest Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission. Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna led a roundtable discussion on how to meet expectations and effectively prioritize consumer protection work in difficult economic times. Other topics included federal laws that authorize state consumer protection enforcement, debt collection and foreclosure case studies, regional collaboration among state attorneys general offices and the FTC, ROBO CALL/ADAD enforcement, charity enforcement and complaint handling. The Mintz Group provided a training session on investigative techniques using various data bases available on the Internet. Tam Ormiston of the Columbia Law School National State Attorneys General Program participated both in planning the conference and as a discussion leader.

Mid-Atlantic Consumer Protection Conference

On April 2, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland, the State Center sponsored a conference for members of the Consumer Protection Divisions of six Mid-Atlantic states: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There were more than 40 attendees, including assistant attorneys general and investigators from each of the states, as well as representatives from the FTC, BBB, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the National State Attorney Generals Program of Columbia Law School. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler. The Mintz Group provided a training session on enhanced investigative techniques using various databases available on the Internet. Discussions were led by state AAGs, focusing on specific complaints or issues likely to be common to other states. The emphasis was on sharing insights and on facilitating interstate cooperation in the future as a way to leverage resources and improve efficiency. Presentations were also made by the FTC, the BB and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

New England Consumer Protection Conference

The State Center sponsored in Concord, NH, on July 1, 2008, a conference for members of the Consumer Protection Divisions of the six New England states. Thirty state attorneys, investigators and other professionals attended. Topics included different approaches to office organization, opportunities for enhanced regional cooperation, practical steps to deal with the impact of rising fuel prices, how to take better advantage of legal research materials and advanced investigative techniques. Faculty members included individuals from the Vermont Attorney General's Office, Columbia Law School's National State Attorneys General Program, the National Consumer Law Center and the Mintz Group.

AG Summit on Subprime Foreclosure Crisis

High-ranking officials from state Attorneys General Offices across the country and representatives of the Conference of State Banking Supervisors are meeting in Chicago on July 17-18, 2007 to discuss the crisis affecting consumers nationwide as a result of the large increase in subprime foreclosures. This important conference is made possible, in part, by a State Center grant.

The mission of the State Center is to enhance consumer welfare by supporting the fair, effective and vigorous enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws at the state level.