Author Archives: Jeff Sovern

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE AALS SECTION ON DEFAMATION AND PRIVACY 2017 ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM

We have received the following Call for Papers: The AALS Section on Defamation and Privacy is pleased to announce a Call for Papers from which one presenter will be selected for the Section’s program at the 2017 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA.  The program will take place on Friday, January 6, from 8:30 […]

Szalai Article on the Federal Arbitration Act’s History

Imre S. Szalai of Loyola of New Orleans has written Exploring the Federal Arbitration Act Through the Lens of History, Journal of Dispute Resolution, Vol. 2016, No. 1 (2016).  Here's the abstract: My initial interest in the history of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) arose out of my experiences representing clients and seeing how the FAA […]

Call for Papers — Section on Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Protection Program at the 2017 AALS Annual Meeting

We received the following announcement:   The Section on Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Protection is pleased to announce a Call for Papers from which up to two presenters will be selected for our program to be held during the AALS 2017 Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Friday, January 6, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. The topic […]

Albany Hiring Entry-Level Tenure-Track Professor to Teach Commercial, Consumer Law

We received the following announcement:   ALBANY LAW SCHOOL invites applications for an entry-level tenure-track position to teach a range of commercial, consumer and business law courses. We are especially interested in candidates with experience and expertise in the following subject matter areas: sales, payments, consumer law, mortgages and liens, corporations, regulatory compliance, creditor’s rights, and/or […]

103 Members of Congress Endorse CFPB’s Arbitration Rule

by Jeff Sovern The Senate letter, signed by more than a third of the Senators, is here, and the House letter with 65 signers, is here.  The letters are more than pro forma expressions of support. They are extensively footnoted (and the House letter cites the law professor letter joined by more than 200 professors). Some excerpts […]

Guardian Article on How the Election Could Affect the CFPB

Here. Excerpt: Even before the November election, warning lights were flashing. Jeb Hensarling, the Republican member of Congress who chairs the House financial services committee, has declared he won’t rest until he tosses post-financial crisis reforms like the Dodd-Frank Act “on to the trash heap of history”. Hensarling is also a fierce opponent of the […]

How Gun Control Advocates Could Save Lives by Manufacturing Guns

by Jeff Sovern Smart guns–guns that block anyone other than their owner from shooting them– would save lives.  Children would not be able to grab them and shoot themselves by accident.  People couldn't turn them on their owners. Smart gun technology exists, just as iPhones can be personalized using fingerprints and passcodes.  But gun manufacturers won't sell […]

Hoofnagle’s FTC Privacy Book: Chapter on Online Privacy

Chris Hoofnagle has posted online Chapter 6, titled Online Privacy, from his excellent book, Federal Trade Commission Privacy Law and Policy (I'm still making my way as my schedule permits through the book and hope to post a review someday).  Here's the abstract: This is the full text of Chapter 6 (Online Privacy) from Federal Trade […]

Journalist Emails Advance Cash Services for Comment on Story and Gets Asked to Pay Phantom Payday Debt

Journalist Bob Sullivan emailed Advance Cash Services to elicit a comment on a consumer's story of how she had been dunned for a phantom debt.  He didn't get the comment, but the collector sent him an email demanding he repay a payday loan that he never took out, for $935.76.  His story is here.