By Andrew Fernandez, Summer 2021 Communications Intern Hidden away from the ‘blockbuster’ cases that drew the most media attention in the October 2020 Supreme Court term, issues concerning economic justice and civil rights in the U.S. were at stake in a case that might have an impact on the future of class actions. In TransUnion…
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…
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…
By Lucy Sears, Communications Associate Any trial lawyer knows how central the facts are to a case. What did a defendant know about whether a product (or some practice) might injure or harm people, and when did they know it? Whether it’s a billion-dollar antitrust lawsuit or a personal injury suit, determining the facts of…
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…
How institutional rejection harms transgender youth. By Adrienne Spiegel, Seneca Falls Fellow This story was originally posted by The Advocate. Legislation rejecting trans kids began to circulate in state houses this January. At the same time, online, sprung a meme: “Tell me you’re X without telling me you’re X.” To play, you announced a category you belonged…