NARCA Presents Panel Discussion on Collecting State Debt to Attorneys General

The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA) presented a panel discussion entitled “Collecting State Debt: Maximizing Revenue & Resources Through Outsourcing” at the Annual Meeting of the Conference of Western Attorney Generals (CWAG) which took place in Anaheim, California, from July 22–26.

NARCA Panelists Louis Freedman, William Goldsmith and Randall Johannes described the advantages and efficiencies that can be gained by outsourcing debt collection to collection law firms.  “Debt collection is sometimes not a priority for state agencies,” explained Mr. Goldsmith, an attorney with the southern California law firm of Goldsmith & Hull APC.  “That’s certainly not a criticism; it’s simply a fact that Offices of Attorneys General, for example, have a myriad of other important responsibilities that must be fulfilled with finite resources.  Outsourcing debt collection provides Attorneys General the ability to concentrate resources on areas of need or that are more aligned with their core mission.”

Mr. Johannes, an attorney with the Colorado law firm of Machol & Johannes, LLC, noted that state laws have an important impact on how government receivables are collected.  “States that have centralized their collection efforts have an advantage in terms of developing a concentrated knowledge base and achieving uniform management and measurement of outsourced collections.  Colorado, one of the states in which I practice, is a prime example that I would encourage others to examine.”

“NARCA is proud to be a CWAG sponsor, and we value the personal and professional relationships we have made through our participation in CWAG events,” stated Mr. Freedman, NARCA’s President and an attorney with the Illinois law firm Freedman Anselmo Lindberg LLC.  “The CWAG Annual Meeting is a first-class event, and NARCA was honored to have the opportunity to share its members’ insight and knowledge on the subject of collecting government debt.  We are lawyers first, and it’s important for Attorneys General and other state agencies to feel confident that law firms working on their behalf will collect in a dignified and professional manner.”

NARCA Members in each state can be found through the Find-A-Firm search tool on the NARCA website (www.narca.org) or a list can be provided by Robin Cole at robin@narca.org.

The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA) is a nationwide trade association of over 700 skilled debt collection law firms, many of which collect debt on behalf of local, state and federal government entities.  Members are required to adhere to NARCA’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, and attorneys employed by NARCA member law firms are committed to the fair and ethical treatment of all participants in the debt collection process.  They are required to practice law in a manner consistent with their responsibilities as officers of the court and must adhere to applicable state and federal laws, rules of civil procedure, state bar association licensing and certification requirements, and their respective rules of professional conduct.