That's the name of this article by law professor Jonathan Marcantel. Here's the abstract: In 2009, the Secretary of the Treasury (“the Secretary”) implemented the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”), a program designed to minimize foreclosures by providing incentives to loan servicers who modify eligible mortgages. Notwithstanding both its design and goal, HAMP has largely […]
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Back in the Supreme Court's 2011 Term, a case that got a fair bit of attention was First American v. Edwards, which raised the question whether a plaintiff whose only injury was the violation of a congressionally-created right had standing to sue in federal court. The Court dismissed the case as improvidently granted (i.e., without […]
CVS stops selling tobacco (on October 1, 2014) because it's "the right thing to do." Wow.
As this National Consumer Law Center press release explains, seven major banks last month left the payday loan business in response to regulatory pressure and outcry from advocacy organizations. What effects that has on the payday loan market and consumers who particiapte in it remains to be seen. Here's a brief excerpt from NCLC's release: […]
John J. Mulligan, the Chief Financial Officer of Target, has published Time for smart cards in The Hill. He says that the risks from credit- and debit-card theft can be significantly reduced if the U.S. imbeds "smart card" technology in credit and debit cards. Here's an excerpt (omitting stuff about how swell Target is): The […]
We've posted several times on self-driving cars (also known as driverless cars or autonomous cars). Go, for instance, here, here, and here. But none of our posts considered the tort liability scheme when self-driving cars run into pedestrians, other cars, or property? Sophia Duffy and Jamie Patrick Hopkins have figured it out in Sit, Stay, […]
by Paul Alan Levy Late last month, we went to trial on a motion for sanctions against Med Express, the company that received widespread condemnation last year for suing two eBay customers who had the temerity to leave truthful but negative or even neutral feedback. You may recall that, after two Ohio lawyers stepped forward […]
Facebook is now ten years old. In this thought-provoking piece in the Washington Post, Michael Zimmer, who is an assistant professor at the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and is the director of the Center for Information Policy Research, reviews Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's views over the past ten […]
After protracted negotiations, the Post reports, the House and Senate have agreed on a farm bill that appears headed for passage and the President's signature. One of the key sticking points was how much to cut from the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The House sought $40 billion in cuts […]
by Brian Wolfman We've told you before about the huge reductions in on-the-road deaths caused by various forms of vehicle safety regulations. And we heard just yesterday about the latest vehicle safety rule-in-the-making–not many years away–being pushed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA): cars talking to each other to avoid crashes. But seat […]