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REVERSE THE SUPREME COURT

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The worst U.S. Supreme Court ruling in recent memory, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, has had a devastating impact on the U.S. political system.

One year ago today, the court handed down another ruling, one that's had a similarly devastating impact on our civil justice system: AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion.

Both decisions have emboldened corporate lobbyists and corporate law firms in their quest to increase profits by rigging the system against consumers.

The court ruled in Concepcion that corporations can unilaterally cut off people's right to band together in class actions against illegal and unfair corporate practices.

Learn more in our new report, which tells the stories of students, U.S. Army service members and consumers who were denied justice because of Concepcion.

How do corporations like AT&T, Wells Fargo and Comcast get away with it?

Under Concepcion, all they need to do is put some language in the fine print of their terms of service.

So you are not only denied your right to take the company to court. You are forced to go it alone, even if millions of people like you were discriminated against, ripped off or hurt by the corporation's actions. Most times, it won't be worth pursuing the case as an individual -- that is, if you're even aware of the wrongful conduct in the first place -- and the company will face little or no accountability.

In the words of one judge who was frustrated by the ruling, "There is no doubt that Concepcion was a serious blow to consumer class actions and likely foreclosed the possibility of any recovery for many wronged individuals."

Visit our newly updated Forced Arbitration Rogues Gallery to identify some of the companies that are using forced arbitration clauses and class-action bans to take away consumers' rights.

There's one good thing about Concepcion: it does not require a constitutional amendment to be reversed.

To stop corporations from unilaterally denying our rights and to restore some justice for consumers, Congress can pass the Arbitration Fairness Act (H.R. 1873, S. 987).

The Arbitration Fairness Act would restore to students, employees, consumers and others the choice of whether to pursue their disputes in arbitration or in court by making forced arbitration language unenforceable.

Tell your members of Congress to support the Arbitration Fairness Act.

With your help, we can fight back against these corporate attacks on people's rights.

Thanks for all that you do.

thumbnail photo of Rick Claypool

Onward,

Rick Claypool
Public Citizen's Online Action Team
action@citizen.org


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