This course will address barriers that low-income New Yorkers face with respect to fair banking access. It will cover:

• Systemic inequities in our financial system, which block low-income people and communities—particularly people and communities of color, immigrants, women, and older people—from fair banking access.

• An overview of fair banking, credit reporting, and other relevant consumer protection laws.

• Litigation and non-litigatory strategies for challenging barriers to fair banking access.

Presenters

Sarah Ludwig is the founder and co-director of New Economy Project, a nationally-recognized public interest law organization established in 1995. She has more than 25 years of experience working on fair banking and economic justice matters. She received a joint degree in law and urban planning from New York University, and has led numerous CLE trainings for attorneys in New York and across the country.

Susan Shin is Legal Director at New Economy Project. She directs New Economy Project's legal strategies, including direct legal services to low-income New Yorkers and community groups, and impact litigation. She is a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Partners Council of the National Consumer Law Center, the Consumer Advocate Award from the National Association of Consumer Advocates, and an award from the Civil Legal Advice and Referral Office (CLARO) for outstanding service and dedication to helping New Yorkers in need of legal assistance. Susan was previously a Skadden Fellow and Staff Attorney with The Legal Aid Society in New York City. She is a 2006 graduate of New York University School of Law, where she was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow.

Raquel Villagra is a staff attorney at New Economy Project. She provides legal assistance to low-income New York City residents through the NYC Financial Justice Hotline and works on New Economy Project's impact litigation. Raquel graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was a Helaine Barnett Fellow with Legal Services Corporation, was active in the Racial Justice Clinic and Juvenile Defender Clinic, and was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Law & Social Change.