Enrollment in this clinic will fulfill the HLS JD pro bono requirement.

Required Class Component: Predatory Lending and Consumer Protection Clinical Seminar (2 fall classroom credits). This clinic and course are bundled; your enrollment in this clinic will automatically enroll you in the required course.

Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: None.

By Permission: No.

Add/Drop Deadline:August 13, 2021.

LLM Students: LLM students may apply to the clinic through the LLM General Clinic Application.

Placement Site: WilmerHale Legal Services Center (Jamaica Plain).

The Predatory Lending/Consumer Protection Clinic combats abuses of consumers by the financial services industry and sellers or financiers of consumer goods, and reversing the negative consequences that can result from those abuses.

The Clinic is primarily litigation and involves consumer, bankruptcy, administrative, and tort law.

The Clinic:

• defends consumers against unlawful debt collection practices in state court.
• represents consumers in affirmative litigation against high cost and abusive lenders.
• represents consumers seeking a fresh start through petitions for bankruptcy.

We enforce the rights of our clients using the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, consumer protection laws of other states, federal and state debt collection laws, the Fair Debt Collection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and federal and state credit repair organization laws.

Students in the Clinic gain extensive experience with a variety of practical skills, including: interviewing clients, analyzing financial documents, drafting complaints, participating in discovery, administrative law and procedure, and occasionally, federal and state policy advocacy.

For more information on the Predatory Lending / Consumer Protection Clinic please contact Roger Bertling, (617) 390-2572.