Mission and History

Mission

The National Creditors Bar Association supports, promotes, and protects the practice of creditors rights law while ensuring fair treatment for all.

History

In November 1992 in New York City, 20 collection attorneys met to discuss how to develop retail collection business. They unanimously agreed that a new association should be formed to foster the idea.

At the time, nobody - including creditors - knew who the biggest law firm in each state was, or even who practiced in this field of law. NARCA saw the need to identify retail collection law firms, bind them together, and let creditors know what their members could provide to them.

Don Kramer, NARCA's first president, rented a small space near his office in St. Louis and hired an Executive Director. Almost immediately, 740 law firms indicated they wanted to be a part of NARCA, although disputes with commercial collection agencies led to a dropout of some initial members. Almost all have now rejoined NARCA.

The first NARCA Collection Conference was held at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas in 1993, with 444 attendees. In addition, NARCA developed a Membership Directory for distribution among creditors. NARCA kept growing as the benefits of an association devoted to law firms that collect consumer debt became increasingly obvious.

Purpose

NCBA's Bylaws state the following purposes for which the corporation is organized:

1. To further and promote the image and function of the legal profession engaged in creditors rights law, including but not limited to, education and advocacy;
2. To encourage, foster and advance professional practices and ethical conduct;
3. Any other actions or activities that the Board of Directors deems appropriate to further the practice of creditors rights law.
4. For purposes of these Bylaws, Creditors Rights Law shall include, but not be limited to:
   
   • The collection of or attempts to collect, by an attorney or law firm, any type of debt owed or due or asserted to be owed or due by the obligor or others, including but not limited to the enforcement of creditors’ rights in collateral;

   • The representation of creditors in proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Courts; and

   • The representation of creditors and/or their agents, including lawyers and law firms, in connection with the creditors or their agents attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due, including in connection with lawsuits brought against such creditors and their agents, investigations by governmental or quasi-governmental agencies, and proceedings brought by governmental or quasi-governmental agencies.