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U.S. Supreme Court

Law firms hired by Ohio didn't violate federal debt collection law via letterhead, SCOTUS rules

Special counsel hired to collect debts for the state of Ohio may use the state attorney general’s letterhead without violating the Fair Debt Collections Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the opinion (PDF) for the court.

The special counsel are hired to collect debts by the Ohio attorney general and receive a set percentage of the funds collected. Use of the letterhead is not false or misleading under the federal collections law, Ginsburg said.

“Far from misrepresenting special counsel’s identity,” Ginsburg wrote, “letters sent by special counsel accurately identify the office primarily responsible for collection of the debt (the Attorney General), special counsel’s affiliation with that office, and the address (special counsel’s law firm) to which payment should be sent.”