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Legislation to Protect Critical Consumer Speech Introduced The Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015 has support across the political spectrum. U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), in a reprise of the 2014 version introduced by Representatives Swalwell and Sherman, have teamed up to introduce legislation that…
Read MoreFor hearing location and details, visit here: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/save-the-date-newark/ For the CFPB Study Fact Sheet see here. The report is released at 8:00 a.m. EST here. For Citizen Works’ Fair Contracts take, see Bob Sullivan at Credit.com here. For a report by the New York Times on how forced arbitration hurts service members, see here. Some highlights…
Read MoreDavid Halperin’s Republic Report on “Mass Action” Ban in Student Enrollment Agreement A critical point in a new enrollment agreement described in detail by David Halperin at Republic Report states: “Students must agree to give up the right to a jury trial. The agreement reads, “By my signature, I acknowledge that I understand that both…
Read MoreCitizen Works, Alliance for Justice, Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, to Host Event on Lost in the Fine Print this February 27, 2015 at Loyola Law with special keynote by Pat Quinn, the 41st Governor of Illinois In addition to a brief keynote from Pat Quinn, the 41st Governor…
Read MoreAmato & Nader in the Harvard Law Record on The Strip Mining of Legal Rights The Harvard Law Record reprinted with permission the piece we wrote for Trial magazine on how fine print contracts strips consumers of their rights. The piece is part of their January 30, 2015 issue on “What Harvard Law Students Need…
Read More“What your bank owes you: clarity” An OpEd by Professor Lauren E. Willis and Citizen Works’ executive director Theresa Amato in the Los Angeles Times discusses the limits of financial literacy education and the resulting need to enforce the laws, ban class action waivers and forced arbitration clauses, and restructure industry incentives. Excerpt: “Trying to…
Read MoreRalph Nader Calls on President Obama to Shift Power from the Few to the Many Mentions Contract Peonage and Fair Contracts In a December 22, 2014 letter, Ralph Nader urges President Obama to shift power from the few to the many and suggests several frontiers for Obama to consider in his remaining two years…
Read MoreFifteen State Attorneys General Send the CFPB a Letter Urging Regulation of Forced Pre-Dispute Arbitration On November 20, fifteen state Attorneys General sent the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau a letter urging the CFPB to use its authority to regulate forced arbitration provisions in consumer financial contracts. They wrote: “Mandatory pre-dispute arbitration is procedurally unfair to…
Read MoreAmerican Law Institute (ALI) Meets in Chicago on the Restatement of the Law, Consumer Contracts The Members Consultative Group and the Advisers on the Restatement of the Law for Consumer Contracts met in Chicago on November 14 & 15 to continue its work on a draft. Theresa Amato from Citizen Works/Fair Contracts was elected to ALI…
Read MoreSpooky: What lurks in the fine print of your credit cards! It’s Halloween and what lurks in the fine print of your credit card agreements can be downright spooky — and harmful to your consumer rights. Jeanine Skowronski interviews Theresa Amato, Paul Bland, Ira Rheingold, and others in The Hidden Risks in Your Credit Card’s…
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