By Anita Yandle, Access to Justice & Justice Catalyst Fellow Following the MeToo movement, some state legislatures sought ways to bring light to claims of sexual harassment in the workplace. One of the barriers to shedding light on poor workplace behavior is the prevalence of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts. These hidden and ubiquitous…
By Karla Gilbride, Senior Attorney You may have heard that pre-dispute arbitration clauses have gotten very popular with corporations, who include them in almost every transaction. From the online terms of use you are asked to “agree” to when signing up for a service or downloading an app, to the fine print in the manuals…
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day serves as an annual celebration of the American workforce, the historic victories of the labor movement from which we all benefit today, and the contributions that workers have made toward our nation’s successes. Today, and every day, Public Justice recognizes and celebrates the impact workers have made…
Possible Federal Rules changes could be green light for privilege abuse in discovery By Ellen Noble, Staff Attorney Corporations are once again trying to dismantle longstanding Federal Rules of Civil Procedure designed to ensure that the civil justice system is fair and transparent—that it uncovers the truth and holds bad actors accountable. This time, Rule…
Chairman Sherrod Brown Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 503 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Ranking Member Patrick Toomey Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 July 29, 2021 Re: Support for Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act Dear Chairman Brown and Ranking Member…
Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee are trying to derail President Biden’s nomination of Rohit Chopra to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), one of the most important – and, until four years ago, one of the most effective – federal agencies in Washington. The full Senate is expected to vote on the nomination…
By Leah M. Nicholls, Senior Attorney In 2006, Congress passed the Military Lending Act (MLA) with bipartisan support. The MLA addressed what military leadership saw as a substantial problem: the targeting of members of the military and their families by predatory lenders charging exorbitant interest rates and fees, rates of 400 percent or more. Getting…
By Leslie Brueckner, Senior Attorney Throughout its nearly 40-year history, Public Justice has specialized in taking on corporate behemoths on behalf of consumers, workers, and others who are determined to fight back against dangerous products, dangerous workplaces and dangerous attempts to block the courthouse doors. Late last week, we scored a major victory against one…
By Christine Hines National Association of Consumer Advocates Paul Bland Public Justice Executive Director Fee-shifting provisions in statutes serve to make so many legal actions on behalf of wronged consumers possible, but a serious issue with America’s tax laws is critically undermining them. A critical feature of many state and federal consumer protection laws, fee…