About Martha Coakley

By Political_Blogger
Sep 9, 2010 3:59 PM

The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As such, she represents the Commonwealth in many matters in which the Commonwealth is a party.

In addition, the Attorney General is a resource to residents who are facing challenges in the area of consumer protection, fraud, civil rights violations, health care, and insurance issues. The best way to find out more about the activities and programs of our divisions and units is to review the information organized by topic in the center section of this website’s home page.

The main office of the Attorney General is located in Boston. Regional offices are fully staffed and located in Western, Central and Southeastern Massachusetts, allowing citizens more convenient access to services in their area. View the Contact Us page for more information.

Organization of the Office of the Attorney General

The Office of the Attorney General is comprised of five bureaus: Executive; Business and Labor; Criminal; Government; and Public Protection and Advocacy.  Each bureau is divided into one or more divisions and units, described further below.

Executive Bureau

The Executive Bureau provides administrative and policy-making support for the substantive divisions of the Office, as well as the operational, information technology, human resources, and fiscal management services for the Office. The Executive Bureau includes the First and Deputy First Assistant Attorneys General, the Chief of Staff, Special Counsel, and the Law Library.  Divisions within the Executive Bureau include: General Counsel’s Office; Policy and Government; Community Information and Education; Information Technology; Human Resources; Communications; Budget; and Victim Services.

Business and Labor Bureau

The Business and Labor Bureau works to develop clear rules and parameters for the business community and all stakeholders to follow.  The Bureau helps to promote a healthy economy by balancing regulatory enforcement and review with advocacy for ratepayers, consumers and workers. The Bureau also plays an important role by focusing on fraudulent acts and practices that occur in the context of commercial relationships. The Bureau works to prevent rising government costs caused by fraud involving business or medical services provided or regulated by the government and to level the playing field so that no company can gain an unfair advantage by breaking the rules. The divisions within the Business and Labor Bureau include: Energy and Telecommunications; Fair Labor; Medicaid Fraud; Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities; and Business, Technology and Economic Development.

Criminal Bureau

The Criminal Bureau investigates and prosecutes a wide spectrum of criminal cases and also focuses on prevention and educational efforts to support public safety and quality of life for all Massachusetts residents. The office focuses on cases that reflect the statewide jurisdiction and areas of investigative and prosecutorial expertise not addressed by other law enforcement offices, particularly in the protection of taxpayer funds and the integrity of governmental agencies. The Criminal Bureau includes the following divisions: Appeals; Cyber Crime; Corruption and Fraud; Insurance and Unemployment Fraud; Financial Investigations; Environmental Crimes Strike Force; Enterprise and Major Crimes; and the State Police Detective Unit.

Government Bureau

The Government Bureau represents the Commonwealth, its agencies and officials in many types of civil litigation, as well as defending Commonwealth employees from civil claims made against them resulting from the performance of their duties. The Bureau develops and maintains close working relationships with agency counsel and provides them with information and advice on matters of broad common interest, particularly where advance consultation may prevent unnecessary litigation. The Government Bureau also initiates affirmative litigation on behalf of the Commonwealth when such litigation is in the public interest and has significant monetary value or raises legal or policy issues of concern to the public and the Commonwealth.  The Bureau has two divisions, Administrative Law and Trial, and a Municipal Law Unit.

Public Protection and Advocacy Bureau

The Public Protection and Advocacy Bureau uses investigation, analysis, affirmative litigation, and other advocacy to advance the Attorney General’s statutory and constitutional responsibility to enforce laws protecting the public. The Bureau focuses on a wide range of issues, including: equality and civil liberties for all; clean air, land and water; fair and competitive business practices in the areas of consumer protection, antitrust, and financial services and insurance; and access for all to affordable, high-quality health care.  The divisions within the Public Protection and Advocacy Bureau include: Antitrust; Civil Rights; Consumer Protection; Environmental Protection; Health Care; Insurance and Financial Services; and Investigations.

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