Consumer Protection

Course Description

This course begins with a look at the law (state and federal) of unfair and deceptive practices and then moves to a study of several bodies of law that govern the extension of credit in consumer transactions, focusing on federal rather than state materials. It will involve considerable exposure to techniques of statutory interpretation, including the Truth-in-Lending Act (disclosure of interest rates), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (which governs dissemination of credit-related information), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (race and gender discrimination), state usury laws (limiting the price of credit), and federal legislation dealing with the sale of credit insurance.

Current and Previous Instructors

Key to Codes in Course Descriptions

P: Prerequisite
C: Prerequisite or Concurrent Requirement
R: Recommended Prior or Concurrent Course

Currently Scheduled Sections

CRN: 95496

  • Fall '24
  • 3
  • 405
  • Tues: 4:20-6:20
    Wed: 4:20-5:15

  • Jeff Sovern

  • 12 openings. (Limit 20).
  • 536F

  • Materials to be posted on Blackboard or distributed in class


    Dee Pridgen, Jeff Sovern, & Christopher L. Peterson, Consumer Law Cases and Materials Fifth ed. , West Academic , 2020

    ISBN: 978-1-64242-309-9


    Recommended/Optional: Dee Pridgen, Jeff Sovern, & Christopher L. Peterson, Selected Consumer Statutes, 2019 ed. , West Academic , 2019

    ISBN: 978-1-64242-308-2

    In the past, I have required students to buy this book. When I taught the course last spring, students told me they were glad they had it. But because much of its contents are available online and to reduce students' costs, I am not requiring it.