Brown attends NAAG Spring meeting in DC

The National Association of Attorneys General is hosting its annual 2005 Spring Meeting on March 14-16, at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C.

As one of the association’s three national meetings held each year, the Spring Meeting allows attorneys general to meet with administration officials to discuss a number of complex legal issues, including homeland security, antitrust, consumer protection, cybercrime and the Internet, pharmaceutical pricing, the environment, end-of-life health care, violence against women, youth access to alcohol, tobacco and other state law enforcement issues.

CNMI Attorney General Pamela Brown, along with 44 other attorneys general and their staffs, are in attendance. More than 200 individuals representing various federal agencies, lobbyists, related trade associations and law enforcement groups are attending.

“This meeting allows attorneys general to share information with colleagues about significant state legal developments and to have informal opportunities to network and exchange views with other interested organizations and individuals,” said NAAG president and Vermont attorney general William H. Sorrell. “Our meetings with federal officials will cover a wide range of issues of importance to both the states and the federal government, particularly on pressing law enforcement and consumer protection matters.”

This year, the membership is scheduled to meet with a number of key national figures, including U.S. attorney general Alberto Gonzales and Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert Mueller.

The association has also invited members of Congress, including former Texas attorney general John Cornyn, to discuss the role of the federal government and Congress in its lawmaking responsibilities and their combined effect on the powers and duties of the attorney general.

Attorneys general will have the opportunity to discuss recent U.S. Supreme Court cases with national journalists and meet with officials from the Federal Reserve, consumer advocates and noted scholars to discuss new reporting requirements under the Financial Services: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. In addition, attorneys general will discuss the increasing problem of predatory lending and coordinated efforts by attorneys general to protect homeowners and prospective buyers.

The impact of certain U.S. trade agreements, preemption, preventing youth suicide and a host of other topics will be presented to the attorneys general.

The three-day meeting kicked off Monday with a number of key committees meeting—Internet, Consumer Protection, Criminal Law, Violence Against Women and Environment. Attorneys general will convene a number of task forces, working groups and subcommittees related to pharmaceutical pricing, end-of-life health care and gang violence.

The Opening Plenary Session started yesterday, March 15. The formal program will end today, March 16. For a copy of the agenda, visit www.naag.org