New York Times Article on Boilerplate Contracts

Gives Shout Out to this Website

Professors (and Fair Contracts Advisory Board Members) Margaret Jane Radin and Florencia Marotta-Wurgler, as well as Professor James Gibson, are all quoted about the problems of boilerplate in “Those Wordy Contracts We All So Quickly Accept,” an article written by Alina Tugend on July 12, 2013 in the New York Times here.

Tugend writes: “A good place to learn about what specific contract provisions mean is the Web site faircontracts.org.” 

See our contracts provisions explanations here.  Radin notes, and the NYT itemizes, that she is particularly concerned about:

• “Not allowing class-action lawsuits.
• Making arbitration the only way consumers can seek relief.
• Putting in indeminty clause so consumers have to pay the company’s legal costs if they lose.
• Specifying a choice of forum, meaning consumers have to go to a certain state or countryifyou want to sue.”

Meet Frog Hog for a reminder of our top five terms to watch out for in boilerplate.