2023 was an exceptionally active year for consumer law, including many new rights for student loan borrowers, new protections concerning medical debt, new limits on debt collection calls, new options for homeowners, and Supreme Court cases involving property tax foreclosures, arbitration, and bankruptcy rights of abused partners. The NCLC Digital Library keeps you current with authoritative analysis of all of these developments and much more.
In 2023, the NCLC Digital Library published 18 free articles examining the practice implications of the latest changes in consumer law, six revised editions to treatises in the Consumer Law Practice Series, two new editions of helpful guides for new practitioners, and over 380 updated chapters of the practice manuals that you have come to rely on.
NCLC values your support of its publications—your subscriptions help us to maintain the premier resources in consumer law while continuing to fight for economic justice. The NCLC Digital Library Year in Review—revised titles, free articles, and new features—is now available below.
2023 Treatise Revisions
In addition to the regular updates to digital editions of the titles in the Consumer Law Practice Series, six books were revised fully in print and on the NCLC Digital Library. Click on a title to learn more about the 2023 revisions.
Bankruptcy Basics is Back
This year, NCLC reintroduced an old favorite. Back in publication for the first time in a decade, Bankruptcy Basics is NCLC’s primer on filing bankruptcy cases. Available in print and digital format, the manual guides attorneys new to bankruptcy through every step of filing their first bankruptcy case. Included are client questionnaires, handouts, and digital access to the Bankruptcy Code, bankruptcy rules, and summaries of all 50 states’ exemption laws.
Articles on the NCLC Digital Library
Below are just some of the 18 free articles published to the NCLC Digital Library in 2023.
Supreme Court Stops Equity Theft in Property Tax Foreclosures
Arbitration Litigation Cheat Sheet
New Supreme Court Ruling: When Is a Bankruptcy Debtor on the Hook for Partner’s Fraud?
Homeowner Tactics to Overcome Problems with Tangled Titles
Protecting Federal Claims by Using State Courts
Student Loan Borrower Rights After the Supreme Court Ruling
Widespread FDCPA Violations in Collection of Medical Debt
Trending Topics
NCLC has compiled resources for advocates navigating trending consumer law topics. Resources include free NCLC articles, links to relevant NCLC treatise material, pleadings and discovery, written submissions from past NCLC conferences, some of which are free to the consumer law community and some restricted to vetted practitioners, and more. Current trending topics include:
Tangled Titles | Zombie Second Mortgages | Property Tax Foreclosure | Natural Disasters
More Practice Tools & Free Materials Added in 2023
Subscribers to NCLC’s Consumer Law Practice Series should be familiar with the robust tools and features of the new and improved NCLC Digital Library. A free NCLC Digital Library account entitles you to well over 5,000 practice items. In addition, verified consumer law community members receive even more—over 2,300 additional, free items from past NCLC/NACA conferences.
End-of-Year Digital Updates to NCLC Treatises
The digital editions of NCLC treatises are updated continually. Flags at the subsections in the table of contents indicate recently updated material. Digital editions are available to active subscribers only. For tips and tricks on making the most of the digital editions, visit the Support Center.
Access to Utility Services
Chapter 4, Metering Issues: Metering Errors, Master Metering, Submetering, Prepayment Meters, Advanced Meters
Chapter 12, Affordable Water Service
Chapter 13, When Either the Consumer or Landlord Files for Bankruptcy
Collection Actions (6th ed. 2024) (digital revision)
Chapter 1, Introduction
Chapter 2, Case Selection, Advising the Client, and Litigation Strategy
Chapter 3, Dismissal Before Reaching the Merits
Chapter 4, Proof of the Merits of the Collector’s Claims
Chapter 5, Defenses and Counterclaims
Chapter 6, Creditors’ Recovery of Attorney Fees, Collection Expenses, Postjudgment Interest
Chapter 7, Defending Military Personnel in Collection Actions
Chapter 8, Criminal and Civil Collection of Dishonored Checks
Chapter 9, Medical Debt
Chapter 10, Federal Administrative Agency Collections
Chapter 11, Criminal Justice Debt
Chapter 12, Other Special Collection Actions
Chapter 13, Challenging the Collector’s Judgment
Chapter 14, Enforcement of Judgments: General Principles and Constitutional Issues
Chapter 15, Protecting Debtors’ Wages, Benefits, Other Income, and Bank Accounts
Chapter 16, Protecting the Debtor’s Home, Tangible Personal Property, and Other Assets
Chapter 17, Debtor’s Examinations and Imprisonment for Debt
Chapter 18, Prevailing Consumers’ Postjudgment Actions
Appendix A, Selected Provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
Appendix B, Selected Medical Debt Provisions Regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Appendix C, Selected Provisions Governing Collection of Debts Owed to Federal Government
Appendix D, Federal Wage Garnishment Statute and Regulations
Appendix E, Treasury Rule Protecting Electronically Deposited Exempt Federal Benefits
Appendix F, Selected Federal Exemption Provisions
Appendix G, Federal Trade Commission Credit Practices Rule
Appendix H, Summaries of State Exemption Laws
Consumer Arbitration Agreements
Chapter 4, Formation of Agreement to Arbitrate
Consumer Banking and Payments Law
Chapter 9, Federal Benefit Payments
Consumer Class Actions
Chapter 19, Attorney Fees
Fair Credit Reporting
Chapter 7, Permissible Releases and Uses of Consumer Reports
Fair Debt Collection
Chapter 13, Bankruptcy and Affirmative Claims Arising from Debt Collection
Home Foreclosures
Chapter 8, Litigating Foreclosure Cases
Chapter 17, Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Mortgage Lending
Chapter 1, Background
Chapter 3, Federal Laws Relevant to Abusive Mortgage Lending
Chapter 11, Other Nontraditional Mortgage Loans
Chapter 13, Litigating Claims When a Bank Fails
Mortgage Servicing and Loan Modifications
Chapter 6, Loss Mitigation and Loan Modifications
Chapter 12, Homeowner Rights During Natural Disasters and COVID-19
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