How To Help Shape Your State’s Laws

When it comes to making and defending strong consumer protections, much of the attention has moved from the federal government to state legislatures. For busy attorneys who want to become substantially or partially active in their respective state’s lawmaking, this presentation will provide an overview of how to get started, who to engage with, what to expect from the process, who and what to watch out for, and how to evaluate your progress. Hear from consumer attorneys and advocates who have conquered the legislative process in their red and blue (and in larger and smaller) states.

What You Will Learn
• What factors to consider before starting the quest to lobby your state legislature
• What are states’ legislative processes like
• What critical action items to do before and after a bill is introduced, including identifying key players
• What are critical steps to take to successfully oppose a harmful bill.

Speakers
Lynn Drysdale is Division Chief of the Consumer Advocacy & Litigation Unit at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, where she has worked since 1988. Over her career, she has represented consumers in individual and class actions related to consumer protection, including cases involving residential mortgage lending, servicing, and foreclosure. She regularly engages in legislative advocacy on these and other subjects, testifying annually before the Florida legislature as well as twice before Congress. Ms. Drysdale is also a prodigious legal educator, regularly serving as a trainer for organizations including the National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. She also taught a course on consumer law at the University of Florida College of Law for over ten years. She was Chair of the Mortgage and Small Business Lending Markets subcommittee of the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until fired by President Trump in his first term. She received her J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.

Rosemary Shahan is the president and founder of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS). CARS is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading pro-consumer advocacy groups. CARS has spearheaded enactment of many landmark measures to improve protections for new and used car buyers and enhance auto safety, in California and nationally. CARS is also on the forefront in working to preserve access to justice. Rosemary has been repeatedly invited to testify before Congress, and is widely quoted by major news organizations. She has received numerous awards, including from the Consumer Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Recent legislative victories: Leading successful efforts in multiple states to defeat car dealer “license to kill” legislation that would have allowed car dealers to get away with selling hazardous unrepaired recalled cars that maim or kill people. Leading efforts in California to support enactment of the nation’s most sweeping overhaul of car buying practices, including a first-in-the-nation 3-day cooling off period for used car buyers.

Young Walgenkim is an attorney in Salem, Oregon specializing in auto fraud, and he is a member of NACA’s board. His passion for consumer rights began at a young age as he witnessed his immigrant parents fall victim to financial exploitation by unscrupulous businesses. Since opening his firm after law school, Young has devoted his practice to righting wrongs perpetuated by car dealers on all fronts. In 2019, Young’s advocacy steered a bill through the Oregon legislature that provides attorney fee awards for consumers in vehicle title violation claims. In 2021, he navigated legislation that requires Oregon courts to reward attorneys who promote access to justice in fee hearings. This year, Young was instrumental in passing an amendment to significantly improve Oregon’s Yo-Yo statute.

Please note that this event is free to NACA members and non-members. All will have access to the recording after the webinar has aired. Click here to join the live webinar.