Every state and the District of Columbia has authorized its attorney general to enforce state consumer protection statutes in state court on behalf of their citizens who were victims of “unfair or deceptive” practices in the marketplace. While each state differs on the breadth of its coverage and the remedies available of its Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices Act (UDAP), it is a core duty of every attorney general to be involved in consumer protection. Additionally, due to the breadth of pre-suit investigatory authority using a Civil Investigative Demand (CID), AGs have powerful tools not available to most civil  litigants. AGs use their broad consumer protection authority to investigate and sue anyone engaged in “unfair or deceptive” practices either in single state actions or as part of multistate coalitions.

The integration of our economy and the rise of technology has made it essential for attorneys general to work cooperatively across state lines if they are to engage in the traditional affirmative enforcement of state laws covering matters such as consumer protection, antitrust, charities, medicaid fraud and illegal internet related. activity  Over the last thirty years AG offices have developed protocols for such cooperation and this section explores that process.