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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250113T140000
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DTSTAMP:20250606T190956Z
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UID:20213-1736776800-1745330400@www.consumeradvocates.org
SUMMARY:NACA’s Business Development eCourse 101: Build a Successful Consumer Law Practice
DESCRIPTION:Your success as a small law firm is just as dependent on your skills as a litigator as it is on your ability to successfully manage your small business. It’s time to change your mindset from being an attorney to an entrepreneur. \nLearn how to build the business systems to set your practice up for sustainable success. This brand new eCourse helps you organize your priorities\, establishing goals and creating an achievable action plan. \nThe eCourse includes: \n\nNine webinars given by experts in the field\n Instructional materials\, including videos\, handouts and readings\n\nPlease note that this course is available at no cost to former and current federal attorneys. Email trainining@consumeradvocates.org to learn more. \n\nWhat You Will Learn\n• How to align your finances to achieve your firm goals\n• How to define your target audience for marketing efforts\n• How to create a sales system\n• How to create an intake system\n• How to optimize your office workflows and integrate AI solutions \n\nCourse Topics:  \nThe Cases: Selecting Winners  \nLearn how to identify the types of cases you want to accept and determine which cases to decline. \nInstructor: Christina Roseman \nMarketing 101: Who Are Your Clients? \nDetermine who you want your client(s) to be and create a communications and marketing plan to reach these clients that conveys how you could assist them. \nInstructor: Russell Dombrow \nSales: Turning Interest into Intake \nLearn how to develop a pitch system that will turn prospectives into clients. \nInstructor: Michael Cardoza \nOptimizing Your Intake System \nLearn how to optimize your intake system once you have your ideal client and a case you want to take. \nInstructors: Christine Anderson Ferraris and Melissa Huelsman \nWorkflow Optimization 101 \nLearn how to create systems to serve your clients with top-notch representation without burning out yourself and your team. \nInstructor: Dave Maxfield \nUsing AI to Increase Optimization \nLearn how to identify specific areas where AI can add value (e.g.\, document review\, legal research\, client communication. \nInstructors: Sarah Ritchie and Subhan Tariq \nUsing Financial Metrics to Drive Your Goals  \nDiscuss what finances you need to make your vision a reality. \nInstructors: Suzanne Iazetta and Matthew Vocci \n\nCourse Instructors \nMichael F. “Mike” Cardoza is a California Consumer Financial Protection Attorney who helps people regain control of their financial lives by getting the upper hand on creditors\, debt collectors and credit reporting agencies. Trained as a trial attorney in the U.S. Marine Corps\, Mike Cardoza has tried countless cases in federal and state courtrooms. Mike founded The Cardoza Law Corporation in order to share the truth about consumer credit and finance with clients and to be their “partner in prosperity.” \nFor over eighteen years\, founder Christine A. Ferraris has worked relentlessly in the legal arena to help those hurt by fraud. As a business owner herself for most of those eighteen years\, she understands the challenges small-business owners face. \nMelissa A. Huelsman is the principal of Law Offices of Melissa A. Huelsman\, P.S. Her practice involves plaintiffs’ civil litigation in the areas of predatory lending and mortgage loan servicing\, foreclosure defense\, fraud\, and foreclosure rescue scams. Ms. Huelsman is a founder and vice chair of the board of directors\, Northwest Consumer Law Center\, a nonprofit dedicated to the representation of consumers on financial issues and she sits on the board of CENTS\, financial literacy nonprofit. She was named King County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in 2006 and was previously recognized by VLS as one of its Volunteers of the Year. She has been interviewed by foreign and domestic journalists regarding predatory lending\, mortgage loan servicing\, foreclosure rescue scams\, and wrongful foreclosures\, including the New York Times\, Wall Street Journal\, Business Week\, and others. Ms. Huelsman received her B.A. in English from California State University at Fullerton in 1993 and her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1997. \nSuzanne Iazzetta is the Directing Attorney for the Consumer Law Unit. Suzanne is also an adjunct law professor at University of California at Irvine\, teaching a course/clinic in Consumer Law.  Suzanne has been practicing since 2005\, and is licensed to practice law in New York\, New Jersey\, North Carolina\, and California.  She previously clerked for Judge Katharine S. Hayden of the United States District Court\, District of New Jersey\, and practiced civil litigation and bankruptcy at Lowenstein Sandler PC in New Jersey for many years. While at Lowenstein Sandler\, Suzanne was granted a fellowship to work at Legal Services of New Jersey at the Newark\, NJ office\, which re-sparked her interest in working in Public Interest. While at LSNJ\, Suzanne worked in the housing unit\, assisting low-income clients obtain section 8 vouchers and defending voucher holders against HUD’s attempts to terminate the vouchers. Some of the areas of law that Suzanne has worked on in her career are consumer law\, bankruptcy (business and personal)\, housing/eviction matters\, foreclosure defense\, FDCPA\, FCRA\, TCPA\, and UDAAP claims\, and debt collection defense. Suzanne also was a staff attorney for a chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee in New Jersey\, and has had her own solo practice since 2012. \nDave Maxfield runs a boutique consumer protection practice in Columbia\, South Carolina. He has represented thousands of individual consumers in cases against banks\, credit reporting agencies\, and insurance companies\, obtaining a verdict of over $480\,000 in a furnisher credit reporting case exclusive of fees\, numerous six-figure settlements\, and in 2019 concluded a vehicle churning class action with total settlement value exceeding $21 million. A self-described “Systems Geek\,” Dave became obsessed years ago with how law firms might use Lean methods and technologies pioneered by the manufacturing world to run more profitable practices. In 2018\, with co-author Larry Port\, Dave wrote the ABA top-selling book\, The Lean Law Firm\, a manual for translating lean and agile methods into a simple\, month-by-month template that law firms can use to become more profitable. Besides co-hosing The Lean Law Firm podcast\, Dave consults with other law firms to help them transform their practices through Lean methods.  As an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law\, Dave teaches both Consumer Protection Law and “The Lean Law Firm Lab” classes. \nSarah Ritchie serves as the Paralegal and Office Manager of John Steinkamp & Associates\, bringing over a decade of experience\, particularly in lawsuits under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). As the firm’s national footprint has expanded\, Sarah has taken on a liaison role\, coordinating with law firms and clients across the country\, bridging complex legal communication with a tech savvy approach. An innovator in legal technology\, she recently spoke at the Consumer Rights and Litigation Conference on the ethics of AI tools in litigation. Sarah combines her extensive legal expertise with cutting-edge technological solutions\, helping her team navigate the evolving landscape of legal practice. \nChristina Gill Roseman\, Esq. is the founding attorney of Roseman Law Firm\, PLLC\, where she represents consumers in the areas of dealer fraud\, lemon law and breach of warranty.  Ms. Roseman has successfully tried numerous cases against vehicle manufacturers and dealerships\, including a verdict in 2019 against Winnebago\, a 2021 verdict against Mercedes and a 2020 verdict against Kia.  She is the Chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Court Rules Committee and is a member of the invitation-only Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County.  Ms. Roseman was the 2010-2012 Co-President of the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania and the Co-Chair of the CLE Committee for the WBA from 2012 to 2017.  Ms. Roseman is the West Virginia state NACA Co-chair. \nSubhan Tariq regularly handles complex commercial litigation\, with particular experience in consumer finance litigation in individual and class action cases in the areas of federal and state consumer protection laws. Mr. Tariq has successfully helped thousands of consumers exercise their consumer rights against large institutional banks\, debt collectors\, and consumer reporting agencies. Subhan also consults with other lawyers and law firms on blockchain automation\, working towards a streamlined efficient network of client files\, document automation\, and cost-effective workflows. \nMatt Vocci is a partner at Santoni\, Vocci & Ortega\, LLC. The majority of his work relates in some way to housing. He represents tenants against landlords and property managers on a variety of cases\, such as consumer protection and consumer debt collection issues\, habitability\, Fair Housing Act violations\, illegal evictions\, and personal injuries. Matt has served as class counsel on several class actions\, including a recent case that resolved favorably for tenants against a large\, out-of-state property management company. He is a member of the MSBA’s Delivery of Legal Services Committee Council and the ACLU of Maryland Committee on Litigation and Legal Priorities. Matt deeply believes in Santoni\, Vocci & Ortega’s mission to provide high-quality legal representation to low-income Marylanders. He graduated cum laude from Temple University\, Beasley School of Law in 2006. \n\nNACA would also like to thank the following members of the eCourse Development team: Ron Burdge\, Michael Cardoza\, Ian Chowdury\, Russell Dombrow\, Christine Anderson Ferraris\, Melissa Huelsman\, Suzanne Iazetta\, Sarah Ritchie and Joseph Sternberg.
URL:https://www.consumeradvocates.org/events/ecourses/nacas-business-development-ecourse-101-build-a-successful-consumer-law-practice/
CATEGORIES:eCourses,Online Training Courses,Upcoming
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T150000
DTSTAMP:20250418T121527Z
CREATED:20250408T183028Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250418T121527Z
UID:22965-1744898400-1744902000@www.consumeradvocates.org
SUMMARY:Student Loans in the Eye of the Storm: What Attorneys Need to Know Now
DESCRIPTION:Not a day passes with this new administration where we don’t wonder what is going on with student loans. Combine that with the National SAVE lawsuit in the 8th circuit\, and you have what appears to be a perfect storm. What payment plans are valid? Is forgiveness still on the table? And what about this DOJ attestation process to discharge federal student loans? So many questions that we as attorneys have\, never mind our clients\, the borrowers. Worse\, you might be both the attorney AND the borrower. \nGet the most up-to-date answers from our panel of student loan gurus. We’ll separate fact from fiction and dispel the myriads of internet myths out there put forth by You-tube “experts”. Learn where to focus for what really matters and what is really going on. \n\nWhat You Will Learn \n• What are valid payment plans and forgiveness options\n• What to expect from the fallout from the SAVE lawsuit\n• What are bankruptcy discharge methods (DOJ attestation).\n• What to expect from the move from FSA to SBA.\n• What borrowers will need help with. \n\nSpeakers \nJosh Cohen began his legal career in 2008 by founding his own firm focused on consumer protection and quickly developed a niche in student loan law. Within nine months\, he filed his first class action against the student loan industry. His practice helps borrowers navigate default\, repayment plans\, collection defense\, affirmative claims\, and bankruptcy discharge—successfully discharging over $3M in student loans to date. Josh also trains attorneys through his long-running Student Loan Law Workshop and developed Student Loan Toolbox\, a software tool to help attorneys counsel clients on student loan issues. \nJay S. Fleischman is a consumer protection attorney licensed in New York and California. Since 1995\, his practice has focused on student loan law\, consumer bankruptcy\, and debt collection defense. A seasoned educator and advocate\, Jay has built a substantial digital presence by making complex legal issues accessible. His plain-language content has garnered over 3.2 million views and attracted over 225\,000 followers across TikTok\, Instagram\, LinkedIn\, and YouTube. He also regularly publishes content at MoneyWiseLaw.com\, where he helps consumers better understand their financial rights and options. \nAdam S. Minsky is licensed in Massachusetts\, New York\, and Vermont and is one of the nation’s leading authorities in student loan law. He remains one of the only attorneys in the country with a practice devoted entirely to helping student loan borrowers and their families. Attorney Minsky provides counsel\, legal assistance\, and direct advocacy for borrowers on a variety of student loan-related matters. He has published three handbooks including The Student Loan Handbook for Law Students and Attorneys\, published by the American Bar Association. Attorney Minsky has also been contributing author to the National Consumer Law Center’s manual\, Student Loan Law. He is a senior contributor at Forbes.com\, where he writes about the latest developments in the student loan space. \n\nPlease note that all live webinars are free to NACA members. If you are a non-member who purchased this webinar or a higher level member\, you will be able to access the webinar recording at no additional cost.
URL:https://www.consumeradvocates.org/events/online-training-courses/student-loans-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-what-attorneys-need-to-know-now/
CATEGORIES:Online Training Courses
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T153000
DTSTAMP:20250425T191604Z
CREATED:20250312T144433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250425T191604Z
UID:22615-1745416800-1745422200@www.consumeradvocates.org
SUMMARY:Identifying Furnisher Claims
DESCRIPTION:Furnishers of information to the credit bureaus play a key role in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of credit reporting.  Furnishers also have important responsibilities in investigating consumers’ disputes of inaccurate credit report information.  Identifying claims against furnishers under the Fair Credit Reporting Act\, however\, is not as straightforward as identifying claims against the credit bureaus themselves. This claim-spotting webinar will provide a general overview of consumer claims against furnishers under FCRA.  If you have limited knowledge of FCRA and want to start taking on cases in this practice area\, this webinar is for you. \n\nWhat You Will Learn \n\n\n\nWho is a furnisher under Fair Credit Reporting Act\nWhen does a consumer have viable claims against a furnisher\nWhat factors make claims against furnishers valuable.\n\n\n\n\nSpeaker \nSuzanne Begnoche represents plaintiffs in matters involving identity theft\, security breaches\, unfair credit reporting\, and unfair debt collection.  Now in private practice\, she was previously a staff attorney handling consumer matters at Legal Aid of North Carolina.   She is a graduate of Duke University and the University of North Carolina School of Law. \n\nPlease note that all live webinars are free to NACA members. If you are a non-member who purchased this webinar or a higher level member\, you will be able to access the webinar recording at no additional cost. \nClick here to join the live webinar.
URL:https://www.consumeradvocates.org/events/online-training-courses/identifying-furnisher-claims/
CATEGORIES:Online Training Courses
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