FCRA conference in Chicago

The FCRA conference in Chicago this weekend was a very big success. Hundreds of consumer lawyers and consumer advocates learned what they need to know to go toe to toe with the credit bureaus and the credit card industry.

As I mentioned before, there were two conference "tracks", one for beginners and the other for advanced practicioners. I spoke four times, three times to the beginner track and once to the advanced track.

Chris Green (a Seattle, Washington consumer lawyer) and I taught the 150 or so "beginners" how to read credit reports. Jim Francis (a Philadelphia, PA consumer lawyer with Francis & Mailman) and I lectured the beginners regarding the responsibilities of consumer reporting agencies (a.k.a. credit bureaus), including their duties under 15 U.S.C. Sections 1681i, 1681e(b), 1681g, 1681b and 1681c. Elizabeth De Armand and I did our best to cover the very difficult topic of qualified immunity and preemption under the FCRA. Qualified immunity arises from 15 U.S.C. 1681h(e) while preemption comes primarily from 15 U.S.C. 1681t(b)(1)(F). We only had 30 minutes to cover this topic which is not near enough time, but we did our best.

Finally, I spoke to the advanced track with Oregon consumer lawyer Robert Solo, Jim Francis and Mark Mailman (both from Philadelphia) and my good friend Sonya Valentine, a Maryland/D.C. consumer attorney. Our topic was about marketing and ethical issues arising as a consumer attorney.

For those of you who attended the conference, I truly enjoyed speaking and all the insightful questions I received. For those of you who did not attend, where were you?!

NACA's FCRA conference agenda #2

And here's the agenda for the advanced track:

FCRA Conference 2009
Advanced Agenda

Friday, May 8

Other Possible Uses of the FCRA: 1-3:00 pm
Understanding Other Databases and Specialty Consumer Reports: Employment, Tenant and Criminal Records (looking at new defendants and cases to bring)
Foreclosures, loan modifications and the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Break

FCRA – Latest Development: Case law and Strategies 3:15-3:45pm

Running a Successful and Ethical FCRA Consumer Law Practice 3:45-5:15pm
Expanding and Marketing Your Practice
Building and developing co-counsel relationships
Collaborating and assisting other NACA members

Saturday, May 9

Discovery and Settlement 8:30-10:30am
How to Effectively Use Experts
Evidence issues: credit reports – how to get them introduced
: establishing “willfulness”

Break

Discovery and Settlement 10:45-12:30
Documents- what are all the documents you need to know about
Advanced deposition practice (clients and defendants)

Lunch (12:30- 2:00pm)

Discovery and Settlement 2:00 -3:15pm
Getting significantly higher settlement in every day cases: Establishing real damages:

Information Sharing on Common Players: A Round Table Discussion 3:30-5:30pm
Understanding defense counsel
Understanding common defendants
Joint Session Agenda
Preparing for Trial

Sunday, May 10


Taking and Defending Depositions 9:00-10:15am
Real life examples

Break

Opening Statements 10:30-11:30am

Closing Arguments 11:30-12:3am

NACA's FCRA conference agenda

I mentioned in a previous post that I am speaking at this year's NACA FCRA conference in Chicago. Here's the agenda for the beginner's track

FCRA Conference 2009
Newcomer Agenda

Friday, May 8

Overview of FCRA Litigation Practice (using available resources) 1:00-1:30pm

Responsibilities of Credit Reporting Agencies 1:30-2:30pm

Responsibilities of Furnishers 2:30-3:15pm

Break

Permissible Purposes for Accessing Credit Report 3:30-4:10pm

Claims Under FACTA 4:10-4:45pm
State Causes of Action and Preemption concerns 4:45-5:15pm

Saturday, May 9

How to Read credit reports 8:30- 9:30am

Understanding Background Checks and Employment Reports 9:30-10:30am

Break

The Business of Running an Ethical FCRA Practice 10:45-11:30
Helping ID Theft Victims

Case Selection and Setup – What Makes a Good Case 11:30-12:30
Client selection
Managing the cases

Lunch

Conducting Basic Discovery 2:00-300pm

Damages: (Thinking Like a PI Lawyer) 3:00-3:45pm

Break

Motion Practice – How to Avoid Summary Judgment 4:00-4:45pm

Ethically Settling or Trying Cases 4:45-5:45pm
Multi-Defendant Strategies
What cases should we settle (and how)
What cases should we try

Joint Session Agenda
Preparing for Trial

Sunday, May 10


Taking and Defending Depositions 9:00-10:15am
Real life examples

Break

Opening Statements 10:30-11:30

Closing Arguments 11:30-12:30

NACA's FCRA Conference

I am attending and speaking at the National Association of Consumer Advocates' bi-annual Fair Credit Reporting Act conference in Chicago, Illinois this coming weekend. I have spoken at this conference every year since its inception in 2000 (it was an annual conference until 2008) and have served on its steering committee the last few years.

This year's conference is May 8 through 10 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. The conference will be different this year, in that it will have two tracks, one for beginners and one for more advanced practicioners of the FCRA. Thus, this conference offers something for every attorney interested in representing consumers in litigation against the credit reporting agencies Experian, Equifax and Trans Union or against furnishers of inaccurate credit information (i.e. credit card companies, mortgage companies, collection agencies and public record vendors).

The only problem with this year's conference is that the Cubs are not playing at home while the conference is ongoing. Other than that very important detail, this year's conference should be excellent and boasts an excellent line up of speakers.