District of Columbia Debt Collection Laws: Influenced by the Laws in Maryland

Today, February 14, 2013, The National List of Attorneys published the white paper on debt collection law in the District of Columbia, submitted by attorney Thomas A. Mauro, Esq., and his law firm Mauro Law Offices, P.C.

Thomas is the senior member of Mauro Law Offices, P.C. He established his firm in 1979. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia and all of the federal and state courts in both jurisdictions. He is also admitted to the United States Supreme Court. Mauro Law Offices is affiliated with Virginia counsel and covers the Virginia courts in the Washington, D.C., Metro area.

Thomas lives in Washington, D.C. He says debt collection work has taught him that patience and perseverance are the most important aspects of the work. He enjoys obtaining good and fair results in court. He is a member of the Commercial Law League of America (CLLA) and is active in its Complex Litigation Group. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, particularly to Italy.

To understand collections law and practice in Washington, D.C., Thomas says, “It is necessary to remember that the District of Columbia was established as the seat of the National Government by the U.S. Constitution from an original ten square mile tract along the Potomac River, taken from the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia parcel located west of the Potomac (now Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia) was ceded back to Virginia before the Civil War. Accordingly, the District’s jurisprudence has been historically influenced by developments of the law in Maryland.

Thomas Mauro

The jurisdiction in one form or another has been governed by Congress. As such, the federal court in Washington, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, served as the local court in most civil and criminal matters. In 1972 Congress created a Charter that grants the City limited Home Rule.” You can read more how that affects debt collection in D.C. in the white paper.

Mauro Law Offices, P.C., has been engaged in creditors’ rights litigation since 1986, and now dedicates 75 percent of the practice to the debt collection industry. They also maintain a corporate consulting practice. They have been National List members since 2004. Along with their work, they support local pro bono organizations and Wounded Veterans groups through a civic organization in Washington called the Lido Club, of which Thomas is a former president.

The National List thanks Thomas for submitting this paper and for giving us the chance to get to know him a little better. You can access the paper at http://www.nationallist.com/white_papers/district-of-columbia.