Attorney General Martha Coakley finds herself on both sides of a sensitive legal dispute over the state's competitive auto insurance system.

As the state's top lawyer, Coakley is defending the Patrick administration against a lawsuit that alleges some of the state's auto insurance rules unfairly favor national companies new to the market, such as Geico and Progressive Insurance.

But as a representative of consumers on auto insurance issues, she has been critical of those same regulations. In a scathing report her office released just before Christmas, Coakley said the state's so-called "managed competition" auto insurance system has not saved drivers money. She also accused the Patrick administration of "playing favorites" when it comes to setting insurance rules.