The National Consumer Law Center, Inc. is currently distributing new material entitled Guide to Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors. Willard P. Ogburn, the executive director of the organization, provided the following information:

"We are excited to have received a grant from the Consumer Protection and Education Fund to distribute this book free of charge to shelters, counselors, pro bono attorneys, and advocates around the country. We are confident that the informaton provided in the handbook will be useful to you and your clients.

"This book provides counselors and attorneys working with survivors of domestic violence the tools to help clients with important consumer issues including:

• Budgeting and prioritizing debt;
• Seeking help through utility assistance, crime victim compensation funds, child support, and civil protection orders;
• Dealing with debt collectors, collection lawsuites, credit reports, credit discrimination, credit and debit card basics, and student loans;
• Making decision regarding bankruptcy and federal tax issues; and
• Avoiding and fighting car fraud, identity theft, high cost credit, and divorce scams.

"The National Consumer Law Center is America's consumer law expert, helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers to use powerful consumer laws to build financial security and assure marketplace justice for vulnerable individuals and families. NCLC promotes marketplace justice by providing expert issue identification, case assistance, legal research, and advocacy workshops for those representing low-income clients. For more information on the National Consumer Law Center or our publications for attorneys and consumers, please visit our website at www.nclc.org. In addition to information from National Consumer Law Center staff attorneys, this handbook contains three chapters written by the Legal Assitance Providers Technical Assitance Project.

"We welcome you to provide your feedback on the book by visiting http://www.nclc.org/publications/dveval.html. Additional copies of this book, and many other consumer resources, are sold through our publications department. Please visit www.nclc.org/publications for more information. We hope that you will put the Guide to Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors to good use in your work."