CAPS is an all-purpose hub for everything Consumer and Consumer Protection at Berkeley Law. We work with Berkeley's Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice and East Bay Community Law Center's Consumer Justice Clinic to ensure that Berkeley Law maintains a thriving consumer law community.

What is Consumer Law?

Consumer Law is a huge umbrella that covers a wide variety of topics. Really, everything that affects consumers. Privacy, student loans, credit issues, deceptive advertising, unfair sales practices, auto sales, housing, food safety, and on and on. Consumer lawyers work in technology law, public interest, poverty law, and government. The primary federal consumer protection agencies are the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). California's primary state consumer protection agencies are the Attorney General's Office, which has a Consumer Law section, and the California Department of Business Oversight (DBO). Former CAPS members have gone on to work in each of these federal and state consumer protection agencies. Consumer-focused attorneys also work at the county and city levels, such as a City Attorney's Office.

What does CAPS do?

CAPS strives to maintain and strengthen the unique consumer law community at Berkeley Law School. We help provide information and opportunities to interested students to help create the next generation of leaders in the consumer protection legal world. As students, we have submitted public comments to state and federal government agencies on some of the most pressing consumer protection issues of the day. We've drafted and filed Amicus Briefs in important consumer law cases all across the country, including the United States and California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit. We host consumer-related events, including guest lectures, topic and career panels, mixers, and even trips to meet with consumer attorneys in action. We maintain an email listserv to inform students about our events, job opportunities, and major consumer-related news in the word. And we advocate for more consumer-focused activities, classes and options at Berkeley Law.

How can you be involved with CAPS?

There are two ways that you can be involved with CAPS. The first is to join our mailing list. We'll keep you up to date on our upcoming events, we'll notify you of consumer-related job opportunities, and we'll let you know when breaking news occurs in the consumer world.

Or, if you want to be more involved, you can join CAPS' volunteer staff. CAPS is run by its executive board and by its event and outreach committees. Help manage the website, fundraise, or plan an event. There is always room for more people. Contact us if you are interested.

How can you contact us?

You can reach us at caps[at]law.berkeley.edu or caps.berkeleylaw@gmail.com.