What does the Attorney General do?
What are the duties of the Ohio Attorney General?
The Attorney General’s duties fall into three broad functions. All are critical to an open and free society.
- First, the Attorney General is the lawyer for the State of Ohio and its departments, boards and agencies. This office represents the legal interests of the state, provides legal advice when requested by our clients, engages in litigation on behalf of the state and defends the state when it is sued. The Attorney General is responsible for the collection of debts owed to the state.
- Second, the Attorney General has enforcement authority in areas as empowered by the General Assembly. These areas include consumer protection, regulating charitable solicitation, anti-trust actions, and fighting organized crime.
- Finally, the Attorney General fights crime by working with local law enforcement agencies and provides criminal justice support services through the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, peace officer training through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and task force participation through Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. Occasionally, at the invitation of local prosecutors, attorneys with the Office may serve as special prosecutors in criminal cases.
