About the Consumer Law Clinic
For over thirty years, the Consumer Law Clinic has provided legal services to people who cannot afford to hire an attorney while educating law students through hands-on training in the dynamic practice of consumer protection.
The CLC represents clients in a range of matters arising from consumer credit transactions including:
- Debt collection defense
- Earnings garnishment protections
- Auto repossession
- Unfair or deceptive business practices
The CLC also helps homeowners facing foreclosure as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the CLC also advocates for protections against unscrupulous and predatory business practices for all Wisconsin consumers.
Information for Students
Consumer Law Clinic students are saying:
"The Consumer Law Clinic is the best part of my Law School experience. Applying what I’ve learned in the classroom and working with a dynamic and supportive group has been an amazing opportunity for growth. I've really enjoyed the chance to learn and grow while giving back to the community."
“…the Consumer Law Clinic experience has been my greatest teacher by far.”
“Throughout my 1L year, I began to lose sight of why I wanted to become a lawyer. The Consumer Law Clinic reaffirmed my reasons. I work directly with clients. I also affect the ‘big picture’ by standing up for consumers in the legislative process, increasing access to the courts and raising awareness of consumer rights.”
“The chance to represent my client in court and see justice done is something that just cannot be beat!”
Consumer Law Clinic students study a broad syllabus of consumer law and explore how state and federal policies create and sustain economic injustice. Specifically, the students:
- Handle all aspects of the CLC’s work.
- Fight unfair, illegal, and unscrupulous business practices for individual clients and consumers statewide.
- Gain key professional skills such as interviewing, investigating facts, communicating with a variety of audiences, researching and applying statutes, representing clients in adversarial proceedings, strategizing, and working with a team.
- Become well-informed consumers themselves.
- Develop expertise in consumer protection topics that interest them.
The CLC will be offered for the fall and spring semesters (2022-23), for a total of 6 experiential learning credits. Students must enroll for 3 credits for both semesters. The CLC does not satisfy the upper-level writing requirement.
Director Sarah Orr loves to talk about the Consumer Law Clinic with students! Contact her at sarah.orr@wisc.edu.
Information for the Public
The Consumer Law Clinic (CLC) provides assistance and information to Wisconsin consumers with legal problems involving businesses such as debt collection, repossession, fraud and misrepresentation, unfair business practices, high-cost credit from payday and online lenders, and foreclosure. Clients receive services from trained law students with close attorney supervision.
CLC can help with these types of problems:
- You're being sued for a debt you don't recognize;
- Your earnings are being garnished by a creditor;
- A debt collector is threatening or harassing you;
- Your car is in danger of being repossessed;
- You bought something based on misrepresentation or fraud;
- You think a payday lender, auto-title lender or rent-to-own shop has violated your rights; or
- You’re being sued or at risk of being sued for foreclosure of your home.
CLC cannot help you with:
- Bankruptcy
- Criminal Law
- Employment Law
- Family Law
- Faulty products
- General civil cases, such as disputes between private parties
- Housing
- Immigration
- Insurance denials
- Personal injury
- Public Benefits
- Traffic Tickets
- Unemployment compensation
- Workers' compensation
Individuals seeking services can call 608-263-6283. If you would rather we reach out to you instead, you can fill out the form linked below.
