February 17, 2011

Consumer financial protection topic of Marquette Law School Public Service Conference

Will feature FTC deputy director and Indiana Attorney General

Marquette University Law School will host its 2011 Public Service Conference, “New Directions in Consumer and Community Financial Protection,” Friday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place at Eckstein Hall, 1215 W. Michigan St. Charles Harwood, deputy director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and Gregory Zoeller, Indiana’s attorney general, will be the keynote speakers.

The recent economic recession and the home mortgage foreclosure crisis have prompted renewed interest in consumer financial protection. The 2011 Public Service Conference will focus on consumer financial regulatory change, particularly the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The presentations will address how new laws, regulations, and agencies seek to diminish the impact of predatory lending on vulnerable populations; the efforts needed to ensure fair access to credit, and how community education, economic development, and private enforcement will play a role in consumer protection initiatives.

Charles Harwood became deputy director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in 2009.  Previously, he served for 20 years as the director of the Federal Trade Commission's Northwest Regional Office and for 6 years as counsel to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Prior to being elected attorney general, Gregory Zoeller served as the chief deputy to Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter, chief of the litigation division and advisory services, and a co-chair for the National Association of Attorney General's Consumer Protection Committee.   

A complete conference schedule is available online. The event is free for Marquette faculty and students. The cost for members of the public to attend is $40. Register online for the event by Friday, Feb. 18.

Media interested in attending should contact Brigid Miller in the Office of Marketing and Communication at (414) 288-7445 or brigid.miller@marquette.edu.