Creola Johnson

Professor of Law

Following graduation, Professor Johnson spent four years practicing bankruptcy and corporate law at Klett, Lieber, Rooney and Schorling in Pittsburgh.

She has taught at the West Virginia University College of Law and has worked as a staff attorney with Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood Legal Services Association, supervising a bankruptcy project for law students.

Before joining the Moritz Law faculty, Professor Johnson was a Faculty Fellow at the University of Iowa College of Law.

She teaches Sales, Secured Transactions, Debtor and Creditor Rights, Business Bankruptcy, Consumer Protection and Non-Conventional Lending, and Consumer Law.

Presentations:

• The Facts and Myths of Filing for Bankruptcy (August 9, 2007) (video)

Useful Payday Loan Links:

• AARP on Payday Loans
• US Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Alert on Payday Lending
• Consumer Federation of America’s 2004 Report on Payday Lending
• The Institute of Consumer Financial Education’s Easy-to-Use Budget and Spending Plan
• Consumers Union’s web page contains a wealth of stories and info about payday lending
• Consumer Action’s Annual Credit Card Survey 2008

Useful Links on Subprime Loans and Foreclosures:

• The Subprime Mortgage Market: What you should know, Why should you care
• Subprime Mortgage Lending Market
• Questions to Ask Before Considering Reverse Mortgages
• Consumers Union on Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
• Center for Responsible Lending

Useful Links about Credit Cards and Credit Related Issues:

• Credit Card Disputes:  How to Dispute a Credit Card Bill
• Fair Credit Reporting:  How to Get Your Credit Report and Dispute Information Contained In It
• Credit Repair Scams – You do not have to pay someone to dispute your credit report
• Guide to Building a Better Credit Report
• CNN’s Guide to Who Watches Your Credit
• Consumer Credit Reporting Basics:  Experian- Credit 101
• TransUnion’s Credit Reporting Basics
• Is it better to pay with a debit card or credit card?  Learn the advantages and disadvantages of each

Useful Bankruptcy Links:

• For legal articles focusing on "bankruptcy" law and an FAQ answered by leading lawyers
• Warning Signs that you are in Financial Trouble and should consider Filing Bankruptcy
• National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees
• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
• National Bankruptcy Review Commission
• National Consumer Law Center
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Discussions
• Bankruptcy LawTrove
• Bankruptcy Lawfinder
• University of Arizona College of Law’s on-line Bankruptcy course

Other Useful Links:

• For a free credit report, go to annualcreditreport.com.  This website  is the ONLY authorized online source for you to get a free credit report under federal law. You can get a free report from each of the three national credit reporting companies every 12 months. Many other sites claim to offer “free” credit reports, but charge you for another product if you accept their “free” report.  To learn about your right to a free credit report from the FTC, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/freereports/index.html. If you only want the truly free credit report, go to annualcreditreport.com.
• Parents teach your children basic economics and money management principles
• Having problems with debt collectors?  Understand your rights with debt collectors