National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)

ACA members are consumer rights attorneys. What is a consumer rights attorney? Attorneys focused on the rights of consumers are committed to the ethical and effective representation of consumers in mortgage foreclosure actions, credit reporting errors, abusive debt collection, and other consumer abuses. NACA also created a charitable and educational fund incorporated under §501(c)(3).

NACA members often provide counseling to consumers against the unfair business practices of banks, finance companies, car dealers and other companies. NACA also advocates for legal reforms that build a marketplace based on principles of honesty, fairness, and equity. NACA is the largest consumer advocacy group in the United States.

Members of NACA deal with assisting consumers in the following types of key practice areas:

• predatory lending practicing;
• foreclosure prevention;
• debt collection abuse;
• automobile fraud;
• financial regulatory reform;
• payday lending;
• forced arbitration;
• preemption;
• fair credit reporting;
• identity theft;
• military consumer rights; and
• domestic violence consumer rights.

The benefits of membership in the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) include:

• access to the NACA Education and Training Department;
• access to the NACA listservs which allows members to communicate with each other;
• a copy of The Consumer Advocate newsletter; and
• access to the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) books, eReports, and eAlerts.

Consumer lawyers handle cases that help consumers including issues related to automobiles, bankruptcy, class action lawsuits, credit reporting, debt collection, mortgage, real estate, housing, small dollar loans, student loans, telemarketing, recorded phone calls, mobile homes, manufactured homes, timeshares, banking issues, credit cards, fraudulent sales practices, financial exploitation, and consumer issues arising out of domestic violence, insurance, utilities, and warranties.

A lawyers membership and leadership in a consumer rights advocacy group such as NACA is a good indicator of their dedication to this unique practice area of the law.