Attorneys General Urge Congress to Appropriate Funding for Legal Services Corporation
Washington, D.C. – On May 8, 2023, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) sent a letter to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to allocate robust funding for the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the FY2024 budget. LSC supports equal access to justice by awarding grants to nonprofit…
Attorneys General Urge Congress to Appropriate Funding for Legal Services Corporation
A bipartisan coalition of 37 state and territory attorneys general urge leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees to allocate robust funding for the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the FY2024 budget. LSC supports equal access to justice by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations that provide civil legal services to those in…
Federal Agency and Other Consumer Protection News: April 2023
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took action against the former executive officer of Integrity Advance, a short-term, online lender, James Carnes, and his wife Melissa, for allegedly hiding money through a series of fraudulent transfers in order to avoid paying more than $40 million in restitution and penalties for illegal…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: April 2023
Multistate Actions California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a multistate coalition of attorneys general demanding a recall of the theft-prone Hyundai and Kia automobiles. In the letter to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), the 18 states urged NHTSA to take immediate action by instituting a recall of the allegedly unsafe Hyundai and Kia vehicles, whose easily-bypassed…
Supreme Court Report: Volume 30, Issue 9
Volume 30, Issue 9 This Report summarizes cases granted review on April 24 and May 1, 2023 (Part I). The Supreme Court Report is published biweekly during the U.S. Supreme Court Term by the NAAG Center for Supreme Court Advocacy. Part I: CASES GRANTED REVIEW Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, 22-451. The Court limited the grant…
State Auditor May Not Retain Outside Counsel without Attorney General Approval or Opportunity to Represent Agency
State agencies in Mississippi may not retain private attorneys without first seeking representation from the attorney general, according to the Mississippi supreme court in White v. Jernigan Copeland Attys., PLLC, 346 So. 3d 887 (Miss. 2022). In 2012, Mississippi’s State Auditor entered into a memorandum of understanding with a law firm, retaining them for the…
Supreme Court Report: Volume 30, Issue 8
Volume 30, Issue 8 This Report summarizes opinions issued on April 14, 18, and 19, 2023 (Part I); and cases granted review on April 17, 2023 (Part II). The Supreme Court Report is published biweekly during the U.S. Supreme Court Term by the NAAG Center for Supreme Court Advocacy. Part I: Opinions New York v. New…
Plain Language: Lawmakers’ Preferred Solution
Plain language requires drafting documents so readers will understand the intended message. Nationally and internationally, lawmakers are turning to plain language more often. Legislatures, regulators, and courts alike are voluntarily implementing plain language into their operations or requiring plain language from others. As a result, attorney general offices face plain language on three fronts: (1)…
Federal Agency and Other Consumer Protection News: March 2023
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took action against Portfolio Recovery Associates, one of the nation’s largest debt collectors, for violating a 2015 CFPB order and engaging in other violations of law. The CFPB filed a proposed order that would require Portfolio Recovery Associates to pay more than $12 million to…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: March 2023
Multistate Actions This month was kicked off by National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), which occurred March 5-11, 2023. NCPW is a week when government agencies, consumer protection groups, and other organizations work together to share information about consumer rights and help people learn to spot, report, and avoid scams. For more information regarding this year’s…