Supreme Court Report: George v. McDonough, 21-234
February 3, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 7 This Report summarizes an opinion issued on January 20, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 14, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: George v. McDonough, 21-234 George v. McDonough, 21-234. The Court will determine whether the Department of Veterans Affairs’ “application of a regulation that…
Supreme Court Report: Tekoh v. Vega, 21-499
February 3, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 7 This Report summarizes an opinion issued on January 20, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 14, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Tekoh v. Vega, 21-499 Tekoh v. Vega, 21-499. At issue is whether the use of an un-Mirandized statement against a defendant in a…
Supreme Court Report: Shoop v. Twyford, 21-511
February 3, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 7 This Report summarizes an opinion issued on January 20, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 14, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Shoop v. Twyford, 21-511 Shoop v. Twyford, 21-511. This case involves the question whether a federal court may, pursuant to its authority under…
Supreme Court Report: Nance v. Ward, 21-439
February 3, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 7 This Report summarizes an opinion issued on January 20, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 14, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Nance v. Ward, 21-439 Nance v. Ward, 21-439. This case raises the question of which procedural vehicle a capital inmate must use—an action…
Supreme Court Report: Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 21-418
February 14, 2022 Volume 29, Issue 8 This Report summarizes an opinion issued on January 20, 2022 (Part I); and cases granted review on January 14, 2022 (Part II). Cases Granted Review: Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 21-418 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 21-418. The Court will consider the contours of the First Amendment’s free-speech…
NAAG Statement on North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s Passing
Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) issued the following statement on the passing of North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. “We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. As the longest serving attorney general in the state of North Dakota, Attorney General Stenehjem will…
Federal Consumer Protection News: January 2022
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or “Bureau”) announced an initiative to reduce so-called “junk fees” charged by banks and other financial institutions. Noting that credit card late fees and bank charges for overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees cost consumers nearly $30 billion in 2019, the Bureau published a request for…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: January 2022
Multistate Actions Led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general obtained a $1.85 billion settlement with student loan servicer Navient. Under the settlement, Navient will make a total of $95 million in restitution…
Consumer Chief of the Month: Shennan Kavanagh, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
I joined the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (MA AGO) in October of 2015 after 12 years in private practice litigating consumer finance class actions. My entire legal career has been devoted to consumer protection. It is an area of law that, in my experience, provides boundless opportunities to serve…
Communities of Color, Fraud, and Consumer Protection Agencies
In recent months, both the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) produced reports on the connection between minority populations and consumer issues. Each report came to the same conclusion: unfair and deceptive practices have unique and disproportionate impacts on communities of color. These findings suggest that more needs to be…
