The Consumer Federation of America has adopted a number of HALT's chief legal reform proposals.

In March, 2004, HALT Associate Counsel Suzanne Mishkin was reappointed Chair of the Vulnerable Consumers Subcommittee. As Chair, she successfully urged the Consumer Federation of America to incorporate the following legal reform provisions into its 2004 Policy Resolutions Manual:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.