Some first thoughts about methodological problems with the Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Study

by Jeff Sovern The Chamber of Commerce has released a study about arbitration. I paste in immediately below the relevant portion of the press release, and then I identify some methodological issues with the study. A new study released today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform found that consumers and employees […]

Register Now: Teaching Consumer Law in the New Normal- Keynote speaker, Richard Cordray

Presented by the Center for Consumer Law, University of Houston, and the Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, UC Berkeley Live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. May 20-21, 2022. Conference for Clinical Faculty, May 19th.* It may seem like forever since there has been an in-person conference…. but we are proud to present the […]

Arbitration and the myths of freedom of contract and free choice

by Jeff Sovern Earlier this week, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on consumer arbitration clauses. The consumer side was ably represented by Paul Bland, Myriam Gilles, and Remington Gregg. I want to say something about the arguments put forth at the hearing by Senator Toomey and Professor Todd Zywicki. Professor Toomey argued that […]

Amy Schmitz asks: Will the United States Remain Exceptional in Enforcing Predispute Arbitration Clauses in Consumer Contexts?

Amy J. Schmitz of Ohio State has written Will the United States Remain Exceptional in Enforcing Predispute Arbitration Clauses in Consumer Contexts? MARC. Revista de Medios Alternativos de Resolución de Conflictos, no 2, 34-39 (August 2021) at Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Here’s the abstract: American exceptionalism” has been used to reference the […]

CFPB report estimates $88 billion in medical bills on credit reports

A new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report highlights "the complicated and burdensome nature of the medical billing system in the United States." The report reveals that the U.S. healthcare system is supported by a billing, payments, collections, and credit reporting infrastructure where mistakes are common, and where patients often have difficulty getting these errors corrected […]

Webinar: What to Know About College Students, Cryptocurrencies, and Scams

On March 9, as part of National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission and National Student Employment Association are presenting a free webinar called "What to Know About College Students, Cryptocurrencies, and Scams." Here is the description: You’ve probably heard of cryptocurrency, but do you know how it works? This webinar will go over […]