Consumer Risk: Law & Advocacy

Past Guest Speakers
- Volunteer Attorney, Atlanta Legal Aid
- SE Director/Attorney, Federal Trade Commission
- Family Law Attorney
- Personal Injury Attorney
- Entertainment Attorney discussing "Arc of a Career"

In this course, students learn how to advocate for their rights with common problems of everyday life, including: landlord-tenant, medical debt, contract disputes, car dealership scams, fixing bad credit, debt collection, consumer fraud, data breaches, and identity theft. Ultimately, participants are taught how to effectively document proof, file a small claims court lawsuit, and argue their case. The stakes involved are too small for a business litigator to take (because they are paid by the hour), but they are of great significance to you or your business to pursue.
LGLS 3040 Listed in goSolar under LEGAL STUDIES - a Robinson elective

THE PROBLEMS

(1) Debt – caused by student loans, mismanagement of budget, and unforeseen events; and (2) Personal or business disputes with people or companies

PERRY'S SOLUTION?

Document everything.

Be Professional, Persistent, and Patient.

Find Leverage.

Know the Law but also know when to settle and when to file a claim.

COURSE INTRODUCTION ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Criminal Justice - "laws, procedures, institutions, and policies at play before, during, and after the commission of an alleged crime."

Read: Calvin Johnson Innocence Project Case

Georgia compensation for wrongfully convicted defendants

Civil Justice - I define this as leveling the playing field for the little guy in civil disputes.

This course is all about civil justice.

Read: Buffalo Creek Disaster Case and Perry's "Grandpa" Case

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS TO WATCH FOR CLASS (updated Aug. 2026)

UNIT I Videos

Fixing Bad Credit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6QdxWyP8HI

Fair Credit R. Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlI7g8SV5P8

Harassing Collectors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjSnxLKl6w & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ngh7YmZxDw

Debt Negotiation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh3EmtiJNEI

Ga Fair Business Practices Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2QDD2Zu4-s

For Mock Trial

Judge Judy Trial

For our Mock Mediation:

Mediation Explained

Simulated Landlord-Tenant Mediation

Mediator Opening Statement (shouldn't be read)

UNIT II Videos

Identity Theft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e2xxqjsuuQ

Top 5 Money Scams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Doqxtp2f4aY

Work at Home Scams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFzf0YG4hbc

#1 Thing to do if in a car accident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKpfWyqM6U

Biggest law mistakes when in a car accident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLTFpJXaXd0
Auto mechanic dispute - Don't use cash, check, debit cards! Use a credit card https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkWEFgmMYTM

GA Landlord tenant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWr1DrekFWk

Eviction https://www.georgialegalaid.org/eviction

Foreclosure https://www.georgialegalaid.org/foreclosure

Buying a New Car - The Right Way (good video but I disagree with financing with dealer)

Buying a Used Car - The Right Way

Negotiating emergency room bills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ZK05cVrJk
What is a Guardian Ad Litem in Custody Cases? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYeE32s1Ru0

CONSUMER RESOURCES FOR GUIDANCE

Links updated August 2026

UNIT I – CONSUMER LAW: CAVEAT EMPTOR (Let the Buyer Beware)

Students and Young Consumers

Warren Buffett: This is the No. 1 mistake parents make when teaching kids about money
Practitioner Resources

Check, Credit and Debit Card Purchases

Clark Howard Consumer Guides - Skim Topics

Before Advocacy Comes Documentation

Introduction to Prompt Engineering with GPT - The better your prompts, the better your demand letter (8 min. YouTube)

Georgia Watch: Dispute Resolution Tips

Mediation instead of going to trial in Small Claims Court

The term Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) refers to any method other than litigation for resolution of disputes. Mediation is a form of ADR.

Fulton County Mediation

Cobb County Mediation - first court in Georgia to implement a volunteer mediation program for small claims cases

Filing and Defending a Complaint “Pro Se” in Small Claims Court

Magistrate Court forms
Small Claims - Q & A
Filing a consumer complaint before going to court
Trover
Subpeona for Witnesses (pdf)

Collection Post-Judgment
Garnishment
Garnishment FAQ
Discovery
FiFa

Federal Consumer Agencies
Federal Trade Commission

- Consumer Information

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Georgia Department of Law
- Consumer Protection Division

Rights under federal consumer cases and statutes, including:

Fair Debt Collections Act

Georgia Fair Business Practices Act

UNIT II – CONSUMER ADVOCACY – PUTTING YOUR RIGHTS INTO ACTION

Bad Debts: Initiating and Defending Cases

Who Should Appear in Court?
From the Plaintiff’s Point of View
From the Debtor’s Point of View

Automotive Accident

Accidents and Injuries

Auto Mechanic Dispute
How to handle the dispute

Advocating Tenant Rights
Georgia Landlord Tenant Handbook

Evictions

Georgia’s tenant-protection laws are among the weakest in the nation, allowing landlords to disregard health and safety concerns, charge excessive fees, and quickly evict residents who fall behind on rent. AJC June 2022

Local governments prohibited from imposing rent controls
No caps on security deposits
No law to allow withholding rent over living conditions
Eviction notices allowed without grace period for late rent
No requirement that landlords guarantee livability

State law does not require landlords to disclose crimes that take place on their properties, but it does say they must exercise “ordinary care” to prevent foreseeable criminal acts. For instance, they must provide functioning locks. But this lease can give tenants the impression that no such legal protections exist. AJC June 2022