Consumer Law

 The U.S. Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau penalized Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation for alleged redlining in Black neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama, the agencies said on Tuesday, which the company denies. The mortgage lender will pay a $1.9…

This article explores the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing a looming medical debt crisis among Black families, while examining the intersection of racial bias, attorney practices, and the existing two-chapter consumer bankruptcy system. Proposing a solution, the article advocates for…

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center that examines the intersection between the racial health gap and the racial wealth gap and the harms of aggressive medical debt collection. The report comes on the heels of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report finding an estimated…

The Shriver Center and the National Consumer Law Center offered a series of free webinars featuring Legal Impact Network members and other advocates discussing strategies for applying a race equity lens to consumer law advocacy. In the first session, they discussed why race is a critical part…

This report is a collection of chapters written by consumer advocates across the country making the case that consideration of race should be central to the practice of consumer law. Within, readers will find concepts and case studies that the authors hope will assist consumer advocates…

Financial-services companies began to reduce monetary settlements to consumers assumed to be Black or lower-income as soon as Donald Trump became president, according to a working paper published Thursday. 

Consumers seek restitution for disputed financial services by filing complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). We find that filings from low-socioeconomic (i.e., low-income and African American) zip codes were 30% less likely to be resolved with the consumer receiving…

Website that tracks debt collection court cases in real time and has begun doing so in five states. The DCL also uses the arts and storytelling to change the narrative about debt justice. Advocates may use the online debt collection tracker to examine which neighborhoods are hardest hit by debt…