The Powers and Duties of Attorneys General

State Attorneys General serve as the chief legal officers of their states. They have enormous power and responsibility. Their work affects the daily lives of the citizens of their states, the businesses they regulate, and the state governments they serve. Their perspective is unique, and their position, which intersects law, politics and public policy, is not generally well understood by the public. 

GW Law hosted the first in a series of four programs examining important aspects of the powers and duties of Attorneys General. The initial program focused on the concept of Attorneys General "duty to defend" state laws against constitutional challenges and on the role Attorneys General play in consumer protection. The program is designed to foster a better understanding of the role of Attorneys General and the complex and often controversial issues which they must confront.

The program began with opening remarks by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine, followed by two panels, featuring three former Attorneys General: Martha Coakley, Massachusetts; Clarine Nardi Riddle, Connecticut; and Peter Verniero, New Jersey; also Jane Azia, Chief, Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection, New York; Helen Mac Murray, former Chief, Consumer Protection Section, Ohio; Linda Pistner, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Maine; and John R. Tunheim, Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, formerly Minnesota Chief Deputy Attorney General.

Event Videos

• Panel One | AG Duty: To Defend or Not?
• Panel Two | AG Role in Consumer Protection
• Keynote Address | DC Attorney General Karl Racine