Washington, DC-At its annual meeting held in Washington, DC from March 10 through March 13, the Consumer Federation of America adopted all of the legal reform proposals recommended by the nation's oldest and largest legal consumer watchdog, HALT. The resolutions adopted by the CFA reflect HALT's core advocacy mission of creating a more accessible and accountable civil justice system.

"HALT's proposals enjoyed unanimous support from Consumer Federation of America members assembled at the annual meeting," stated HALT Associate Counsel Suzanne Mishkin. "We're delighted that an organization which helps set the agenda at the federal and local level has decided to adopt these straightforward and long-overdue policy reforms."

As Chair of the CFA's Vulnerable Consumers Subcommittee this year, HALT's Mishkin successfully urged the Federation to incorporate legal reform provisions into its 2004 Policy Resolutions Manual. The HALT-backed resolutions focus on expanding access to the civil justice system through plain-language court forms and an increase of dollar limits for non-probate procedures. Targeting the civil justice system's failure to hold lawyers and judges accountable, HALT's remaining resolutions recommend increased sunshine on judges' financial interests, mandatory malpractice insurance for lawyers, and the applicability of consumer fraud statutes to lawyers.

"Our proposals all focused on issues that affect ordinary legal consumers on a daily basis," stated Mishkin. "We hope that the Consumer Federation of America's endorsement will galvanize decision-makers to consider and implement these important reforms."

The CFA works to advance pro-consumer policy on issues like energy, financial services, health and safety, government accountability and telecommunications. At the annual meeting, member organizations discuss and vote on policy resolution proposals submitted by the Federation's Policy Resolution Committee, comprised of chairpersons of various subcommittees that meet each year to evaluate new policy ideas and propose resolutions. CFA resolutions help set the policy agenda for the courts, Congress and the White House, as well as federal and state regulatory agencies.

Founded in 1978, HALT-An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest organization. HALT pursues an ambitious education and advocacy program that challenges the legal establishment to improve access and accountability and reduce costs in the civil justice system. Please visit www.halt.org for more information.

HALT successfully urged the Consumer Federation of America to incorporate the following legal reform provisions into its 2004 Policy Resolutions Manual:

1. CFA Endorses HALT Recommendation of Plain-Language Court Forms and Instructions

   CFA supports the use of court-provided forms to facilitate the filing of complaints for common causes of action and answers to those complaints. Landlord- tenant issues, family law, probate and small claims court matters are among the types of matters that should be included. Forms should include or be accompanied by plain-language instructions that allow non-lawyers to simply complete them. CFA urges courts to provide forms in languages appropriate to each community. CFA also supports permitting court clerks to answer procedural questions about court forms, as well as the creation of positions on the court staff dedicated to answering litigants' questions.

2. CFA Endorses HALT Proposal to Raise Dollar Limits for Non-probate Procedures

   CFA supports the expansion of summary proceedings for administering small estates. Such proceedings allow families to settle estate (distribute assets) of their loved ones without having to endure long, complicated and expensive probate procedures.

3. CFA Endorses HALT Recommendation for Increased Sunshine on Judges' Financial Interests

   CFA urges states to require judges to keep financial disclosure reports that detail information specified in the federal Ethics in Government Act, at a minimum. A person should make a request for copies of this information at the office of the clerk at the court in which the judge serves.

   4. CFA Endorses HALT Support for Mandatory Malpractice Insurance

   CFA supports state legislation requiring practicing lawyers, doctors and other professional service providers to carry a minimum level of professional liability insurance. When a service provider, in whom a consumer has placed a high degree of trust, has acted incompetently, negligently or deceitfully, the consumer should have the right to meaningful restitution.

4. CFA Endorses HALT Mission to Hold Lawyers Accountable under Consumer Fraud Statutes

   CFA urges state legislatures to allow consumers (recipients of services) to seek meaningful recourse from all service professionals, including lawyers and doctors, under consumer fraud statutes. When a service professional defrauds, deceives or misleads a consumer, he or she should be held accountable under the state's consumer fraud statute.