Due to Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit Challenging Racial Discrimination, National Consumer Law Center and National Legal Aid and Defender Association Launch Consumer Law Fellowship Program
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
- Organization: The Brennan Center's Legal Services E-lert
Due to Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit Challenging Racial Discrimination, National Consumer Law Center and National Legal Aid and Defender Association Launch Consumer Law Fellowship Program
As the result of a settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by African American and Latino consumers challenging widespread racial discrimination by General Motors Acceptance Corporation in its financing of car purchases, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) are launching the Consumer Law Fellowship Program. The fellowship program will focus on advocacy around credit financing and consumer law issues, particularly as they affect African Americans and Latinos. General Motors Acceptance Corporation will provide NCLC, which was cocounsel in the class action, with funding for the fellowship program as part of the settlement agreement. Will Ogburn, executive director of NCLC, says, "Consumer law directly challenges economic forces that push families into poverty, prey on families already in poverty, and make getting out of poverty so difficult. . . . This fellowship program recognizes the essential role that consumer law should have as part of any comprehensive legal services program." Applications for the fellowship program are available at www.nlada.org/Civil/ConsumerLawFellowships.
Letter from Willard P. Ogburn, National Consumer Law Center executive director, to Project Director, June, 2004 (on file with the Brennan Center); Email from Deborah Dubois to the NLADA Legal Aid News listserv (June 30, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); also based on original reporting by Brennan Center staff.
As the result of a settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by African American and Latino consumers challenging widespread racial discrimination by General Motors Acceptance Corporation in its financing of car purchases, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) are launching the Consumer Law Fellowship Program. The fellowship program will focus on advocacy around credit financing and consumer law issues, particularly as they affect African Americans and Latinos. General Motors Acceptance Corporation will provide NCLC, which was cocounsel in the class action, with funding for the fellowship program as part of the settlement agreement. Will Ogburn, executive director of NCLC, says, "Consumer law directly challenges economic forces that push families into poverty, prey on families already in poverty, and make getting out of poverty so difficult. . . . This fellowship program recognizes the essential role that consumer law should have as part of any comprehensive legal services program." Applications for the fellowship program are available at www.nlada.org/Civil/ConsumerLawFellowships.
Letter from Willard P. Ogburn, National Consumer Law Center executive director, to Project Director, June, 2004 (on file with the Brennan Center); Email from Deborah Dubois to the NLADA Legal Aid News listserv (June 30, 2004) (on file with the Brennan Center); also based on original reporting by Brennan Center staff.
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