National Association of Attorneys General Hosts Annual Spring Meeting in Nation's Capital, March 3-5

Attorneys General Meet with U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement and Other Federal Officials to Discuss Critical Legal Issues of State-Federal Concern

WASHINGTON, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) will host its annual Spring Meeting, March 3-5, at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. More than 40 Attorneys General from across the country will attend, as well as representatives from the ranks of trade associations, law firms, federal and state government officials and staff from other interested agencies and associations.

As one of the Association's three national meetings held each year, the Spring Meeting allows Attorneys General to discuss a number of complex legal issues, including homeland security and terrorism, social networking websites, methamphetamine use, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, federal legislation and other substantive legal areas of interest.

"This is a critical meeting for all of my colleagues as we convene in the nation's capital to discuss many of the shared issues facing our jurisdictions across the country," NAAG President and Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said. "Washington, D.C. is a natural backdrop for our discussions as we consider how to improve state-federal cooperation, protect federal funding for many of our victims' rights and other programs and work together to ensure that states' rights are protected from preemptive federal legislation."

"This forum allows us to meet with federal leaders to discuss our concerns in person and collectively find solutions to complex legal and policy issues by combining our time, talent and resources through multistate efforts," President Wasden added.

Attorneys General will be meeting with Bush Administration officials at the White House on Monday, in addition to a number of other key national figures throughout the week, including: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement and John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Other special guests include: Stewart Baker, assistant secretary for policy with the Department of Homeland Security; Margaret Peterlin, deputy undersecretary of commerce and deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Ernie Allen, president and chief executive officer for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall; Thomas M. Siebel, founder and chairman of The Meth Project; and former U.S. Solicitors General Ted Olson and Walter Dellinger. Former Pennsylvania First Lady Michele M. Ridge, wife of former Governor Tom Ridge, is slated to appear to discuss an innovative project called Vision of Hope, launched by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. The project is devoted to ending child sexual abuse

For a copy of the agenda or more information on the spring meeting, please visit www.naag.org. For press credentials, contact Angelita Plemmer at 703-585-7486 or via email at aplemmer@naag.org.

The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) was founded in 1907 to help Attorneys General fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions. NAAG's mission is: "To facilitate interaction among Attorneys General as peers. To facilitate the enhanced performance of Attorneys General and their staffs." NAAG fosters an environment of "cooperative leadership," helping Attorneys General respond effectively - individually and collectively - to emerging state and federal issues.

The Association fosters interstate cooperation on legal and law enforcement issues, conducts policy research and analysis of issues, and facilitates communication between the states' chief legal officers and all levels of government. The Association's members are the Attorneys General of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the chief legal officers of the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico (Secretary of Justice) and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. The U.S. Attorney General is an honorary member.