The following links can provide a wealth of useful information for consumers.  If you use any links in this web site to external web sites, you will leave the Johnson Law Firm's web site. The linked sites are not under the control of the Johnson Law Firm, and the Johnson Law Firm is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. The Johnson Law Firm provides these links to you only as a convenience and the inclusion of any link does not imply recommendation, approval or endorsement by the Johnson Law Firm of the site or its contents, nor does it imply that the linked site recommends, approves of, or endorses Ray Johnson as an attorney, the Johnson Law Firm, its site or site contents.

This web site is an excellent resource for information pertaining to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and your privacy rights related to your credit information.  Here you will learn things like your ex husband/wife has no right to pull your credit report just because s/he works at a car dealership with access to your credit report.

Provides information on a wide range of consumer issues and links to some of the best consumer attorneys in the U.S.  In fact, they might be the only consumer attorneys in the U.S.  It's not like there are thousands of them out there.

A wide range of information on specific debt collectors.  To say Bud is candid, direct or to the point would be a serious understatement.  Bud, don't sugar coat it, tell us how you really feel about these debt collectors. 

A word of caution.  When it comes to debt collectors, Bud says what he thinks and thinks what he says.  Do not try this at home.  Bud is a trained professional.  

You could get sued by posting similar comments--not that the debt collector should necessarily win--but you could get sued.  In fact, Bud has been sued.  But filing a lawsuit against Bud Hibbs is akin to climbing the fence at a zoo and poking lions in the eye with a stick.  Bud knows how to take care of himself.  And even if he did not, the last time a debt collector sued Bud, he had about 20 nationally recognized consumer attorneys volunteering to represent him for free.  You may not be so lucky with your Internet flames regarding that New York car dealer who cheated you on that Internet car purchase.  You might find yourself all alone defending an expensive SLAPP lawsuit in New york.

An excellent consumer law resource for attoneys, the courts and consumers alike.  If you or your private attorney need additional resources on often complex consumer laws, NCLC is the place to start.

Iowa Legal Aid is a resource for consumer information.  Legal Aid represents low income Iowans, including Iowans with consumer related problems.  Unfortunately, Congress has placed severe restrictions and budget constraints on Legal Aid to prevent Legal Aid from effectively representing consumer interests against powerful corporations.  Nevertheless, Legal Aid does an excellent job despite the restrictions. 

A source of information on pending legislation.  The web site has the e-mail addresses of legislators who definitely need to hear from you.  I hear from legislators on a regular basis they never hear from consumers.  Of course, I hear from consumers they e-mail legislators and do not get a response.  Go figure.  I'm willing to bet that tobacco, bank and insurance lobbyists get responses to their calls and e-mails.  

Here is where you can find out who is lobbying on a particular bill and how much a particular legislator has received from various lobbying interests.  You will find a correlation between anti-consumer voting patterns and corporate PAC contributions.  Members of leadership in positions to kill consumer legislation frequently get the most corporate PAC money.  While passing consumer legislation is extremely difficult, introducing the legislation does seem to be a form of economic development, as money from out of state corporate PACs finds its way to Iowa lobbyists. 

Contains information about the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.  A must read for anyone contemplating litigation in federal court in the Northern District.  

Contains information about the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Also a must read if you are contemplating litigation in the Southern District. 

An excellent source of legal information on a range of legal topics.  Paul Bland at Public Justice is the nations expert on the evils of mandatory consumer arbitration.  That is quite an accomplishment, because the list of "evils" associated with mandatory consumer arbitration is a long, long list indeed.  If Paul doesn't know the answer, there isn't one.   

A Wealth of information of interest to the "elderly."  I use that term loosely, since AARP asked me to join when I was in my early 50's.  Apparently to AARP, 50 is the new 70.  Seriously, AARP has been a strong supporter of consumer rights.  You will find a lot of useful information on its web site.

The ACLU takes a lot of heat for representing individuals with unpopular causes.  But without organizations like the ACLU, government would slowly erode from within the very freedom others have fought to protect abroad. 

An excellent source of information on predatory lending.  In addition, one of my attorney friends, Kathleen Keest, works there.  Kathleen is extremely knowledgeable and a die-hard consumer advocate.  She once re-wrote her contract for phone service and sent it back to her provider demanding they negotiate their boiler plate adhesion contract with her.  I'm not sure how that turned out--I wasn't able to reach her by phone.   

Self explanatory.  If a Carfax shows that low mileage vehicle you purchased with 30,000 miles had 120,000 miles on it a year ago, you might want to click here.