With the bleak numbers we have been hearing about the economy, it’s nice to come across a spreadsheet that remains solidly in the black. The Texas Consumer Complaint Center (TCCC) at our Law Center has become one of the most successful programs of its kind in the world, and it continues to rack up consumer savings at an impressive rate.

To date, the TCCC under the direction of Associate Dean Richard Alderman has saved Texas consumers more than $1.8 million. In the most recent monthly reporting period, law students working under the supervision of a practicing attorney handled 163 on-line complaints and 96 telephone calls. Not every complaint was resolved and some were not valid, of course, but the legitimate complaints that were handled successfully helped save consumers nearly $60,000.

The TCCC is a centerpiece of one of the most active and successful consumer law programs in the country. From hosting national conferences to publishing a journal on commercial and consumer law, our consumer law program helps to fulfill our commitment to high-quality work in all areas of modern law.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott directed a cy pres award of $364,000 to the Law Center in January 2006 to help launch the TCCC. That seed funding has paid handsome dividends not only for Texas consumers, but also for scores of Law Center students who have gained valuable experience in putting consumer law into action. This is part of the Law Center’s commitment to public interest work and educational opportunities for our students.

Given the state of the economy, the free services available through the Texas Consumer Complaint Center are an important part of the support we provide to the community. We are proud of the continuing success of the program – and we are lucky to have had the resources to continue it during difficult economic times.

For more information on the TCCC, please go to www.texasccc.com.