Consumer Law & Policy Blog

LDF report on Judge Garland

The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund has released this report on the judicial work of Judge Merrick Garland, some of which relates to the interests of consumers.

Announcement for Students and Others: Antitrust and Consumer Protection State Legislation Monitoring Initiative

We have been asked to announce this to students:

The Consumer Protection and Legislation Committees of the Section of Antitrust Law are looking for volunteers to monitor state antitrust and consumer protection legislative developments and when appropriate, draft short legislative updates to post on Connect. 

The volunteer involvement will consist of monitoring antitrust and consumer protection legislation in 3-4 assigned states and reporting relevant developments to the program coordinator (Anna Chehtova) on regular basis.  If the developments are Connect-worthy, the volunteers will proceed to draft short Connect posts.  On ad hoc basis, the volunteers may also contribute with Connect post covering federal legislation. 

For examples recent state legislative posts, we invite Section members who are interested in the initiative to check out the Legislation Committee’s Connect page:

http://connect.abaantitrust.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=a42a022e-adfa-4821-a59a-8de61bdf90e3 (all posts)

http://connect.abaantitrust.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=193&MID=6470&tab=digestviewer&CommunityKey=a42a022e-adfa-4821-a59a-8de61bdf90e3 (New York proposed bill on collective bargaining for doctors)

http://connect.abaantitrust.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=193&MID=6681&tab=digestviewer&CommunityKey=a42a022e-adfa-4821-a59a-8de61bdf90e3 (Hawaii privacy bill)

http://connect.abaantitrust.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=193&MID=6015&tab=digestviewer&CommunityKey=a42a022e-adfa-4821-a59a-8de61bdf90e3 (Missouri and Hawaii bills on fantasy sports)

The initiative is an easy and fun way to get actively involved in the activities of the Section and stay on top of state legislative developments.  If you need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the program coordinator Anna Chehtova at anna.a.chehtova@tsocorp.com or Consumer Protection Committee Co-Chair, Svetlana Gans at sgans@ftc.gov.

Google to stop carrying ads from payday lenders

Payday lenders will lose access to Google’s biggest online ads network in mid-July. From that point on, search results pages will stop displaying paid marketing from payday lenders.

ThinkProgress has the story.

Law Professor Letter Supporting Arbitration Rule in the Works

by Jeff Sovern

Jean Sternlight of UNLV is circulating an impressive and well-argued letter for law professors to sign supporting the CFPB's proposed arbitration regulation.  According to my count, 139 have already signed it.  If you would like to add your name to the list, please email Jean at jean.sternlight@unlv.edu no later than May 20.

ProPublica: "For Nebraska’s Poor, Get Sick and Get Sued"

In Nebraska, ProPublica reports,

debt collectors frequently sue over medical debts as small as $60 and a simple missed doctor’s bill can quickly land you in court.

Filing suit is one of the most aggressive ways to collect debt, but no one tracks how frequently it happens or to whom. An examination of Nebraska’s courts, however, shows that where debtors live can have an enormous, and unexpected, impact on the quantity and types of lawsuits.

Read the eye-opening report here.

The Consumer Bureau’s New Arbitration Rule: What’s Really at Stake

Here's a post that I wrote for the American Constitution Society's blog last Friday -- the day after the CFPB released its proposed arbitration rule.

The gender wage gap is growing

Troubling new statistics -- as reported in the Washington Post.

Majority of consumers misled by "natural" food labels

A recent Consumer Reports survey of 1,005 adults found that more than half of consumers seek out foods with the word "natural" on the label, often in the false belief that the foods were produced without genetically modified organisms, hormones, pesticides, or artificial ingredients. But on food labels, the word does not necessarily mean any of those things.

Consumer Reports petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 to ban the use of “natural” on labeling because shoppers are misled.The FDA later requested public comment on use of the word “natural”on food labels, and the comment period ends today.

You can read about the Consumer Reports survey here (CBS News) and here (The Hill).

Banks plan to offer lower-rate "payday" loans

Think Progress reports that traditional are planning to jump into the market for low-rate loans after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalizes rules on payday and auto title lending. Relying on an American Banker article (subscription required), it says that at least three major American banks are planning to offer comparable loans at far lower cost.

The full ThinkProgress story is here.

On pastoral medical credentials and concerns about deception

NPR reports:

The Texas-based Pastoral Medical Association gives out "pastoral provider licenses" in all 50 states and 30 countries. Some providers call themselves doctors of pastoral medicine. But these licenses are not medical degrees. That has watchdog organizations concerned that some patients may not understand what this certification really means.

Listen here.