Washington, DC—At its annual meeting held in Washington, DC from March 9 through March 12, the Consumer Federation of America adopted HALT-backed legal reform proposals during its policy resolution process. The resolutions adopted by the CFA reflect the core mission of HALT, a legal consumer watchdog dedicated to creating a more accessible and accountable civil justice system.

"Making the legal system more user-friendly is a shared goal of HALT and the Consumer Federation of America," stated HALT Associate Counsel Suzanne Mishkin. "Calls for increased oversight of judges, additional legal resources for seniors, written fee agreements and improvements to small claims courts are long overdue."

As Chair of CFA's Vulnerable Consumers Subcommittee this year, HALT's Mishkin successfully urged the Federation to incorporate legal reform provisions into its 2005 Policy Resolutions Manual. The HALT-backed resolutions focus on expanding access to the civil justice system through the implementation of small claims court advisers and the creation of free legal hotlines for low-income seniors. Targeting the need for increased accountability in the civil justice system, HALT's remaining resolutions recommended gift receipt restrictions for federal judges and requirements that professional fee agreements be written in plain-language and clearly outline clients' rights.

"We hope that the Consumer Federation of America's new policy resolutions will galvanize decision-makers to consider and implement these important reforms," stated Mishkin.

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 2005 Policy Resolutions Manual:

1. CFA Adopts HALT Recommendation of Gift Receipt Restrictions for Judges

   CFA supports strict limitations on the gifts that federal and state judges may accept. Judicial standards should parallel the standards imposed upon the executive and legislative branches, not to exceed de minimus amounts.

2. CFA Adopts HALT Proposal to Require Written Professional Fee Agreements

   Any professional licensed by the state must provide clients with plain language written fee agreements and send itemized monthly statements when fees are incurred.

3. CFA Adopts HALT Recommendation for the Creation of Free Legal Hotlines for Low-Income Seniors.

   CFA supports the establishment and generous public and private funding of free legal hotlines for low-income seniors, staffed by licensed attorneys and covered by legal malpractice insurance. Senior hotlines should exist nationwide.

4. CFA Adopts HALT Recommendation for the Implementation of Small Claims Court Advisors

   CFA supports expanding the availability of legal self-help through small claims court systems. Such expanded access should include …small claims advisors. Small claims advisors are individuals other than clerks with an understanding of small claims procedures whose primary duties are to explain those procedures to small claims litigants and guide them through their cases.