Frank A. Pasquale III of Maryland has written Democratizing Higher Education: Defending and Extending Income-Based Repayment Programs, Loyola Consumer Law Review (Forthcoming). Here is the abstract: This article addresses many critiques of income-based repayment programs for student loan debt. These programs are not helping many of the students they were designed to aid. Their terms […]
by Jeff Sovern Gregory Gauthier has pointed out that Starbucks has changed its arbitration clause and wonders why. The old version is described here. The new version is somewhat less onerous. For example, it permits the arbitration to be "held in a reasonably convenient location in the state in which you reside or at another mutually agreed […]
We've previously discussed Tyson Foods v. Bouaphakeo, the pending Supreme Court case regarding whether workers at an Iowa meat-processing plant can sue as a class over violations of wage-and-hour protections. For a bit of (unfortunately gruesome) context, check out this recent article from Buzzfeed, "America’s Biggest Meat Producer Averages One Amputation Per Month," about OSHA data […]
As NPR reports this morning, a New York state trial court (misleadingly named the "New York State Supreme Court" apparently for historical reasons) upheld the City's requirement that restaurants label high sodium menu items. The story explains, "Mandated salt warnings on menus are intended to make New Yorkers more aware of the link between excessive […]
On May 20-21, the Center for Consumer Law at the University of Houston Law Center will present its bi-annual conference for consumer law professors, adjunct professors, and those interested in teaching consumer law. The conference is especially valuable to anyone interested in teaching consumer law as an adjunct professor. Registration forms, a tentative schedule and hotel […]
Opioids include morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Many opioids are available by prescription to treat pain. Addiction to these drugs is on the rise. (Addiction to the illegal opioid heroin also is on the rise.) Earlier this month, the federal Food and Drug Administration released its plan to reduce abuse of prescription opioids. Read about the […]
by Julie A. Murray, guest blogger Today Public Citizen submitted a citizen petition to the Department of Education asking it to issue a rule that requires colleges to agree, as a condition on receipt of certain federal funding such as Stafford loans and Pell grants, not to include pre-dispute arbitration clauses in enrollment or other […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday took two separate actions against Citibank for illegal debt sales and debt collection practices. In the first action, the CFPB ordered Citibank to provide nearly $5 million in consumer relief and pay a $3 million penalty for selling credit card debt with inflated interest rates and for failing to […]
David Adam Friedman of Willamette has written Refining Advertising Regulation. Here's the abstract: Why did the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) aggressively pursue Volkswagen’s claims about “clean-diesel” technology, while ignoring widespread practices like deceptive discount pricing? Why did the FTC offer formal guidance to industry about “native advertising,” but only casual guidance to consumers about widely-used, […]