Books
Chapter 93A Rights and Remedies by Call Number: KFM2630 .C53 2014 LAW STACKSISBN: 9781683452324Also available on WestlawNext, LexisAdvance and BloombergLaw.- Civil Causes of Action in Massachusetts by Call Number: KFM2933 .C58 2012 LAW STACKSISBN: 9781575897257
Consumer Protection Law in a Nutshell by Call Number: KF1610 .M37 2020 LAW STACKSISBN: 9781684674770Publication Date: 2020-10-22Though not Massachusetts-specific, this Nutshell book gives a simple, broad overview of consumer protection law.
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Websites
- Consumer Protection Act Demand LetterFrom the MA Attorney General's Office's Consumer Protection Division, an explanation of the 93A demand letter, with sample letter.
- National Consumer Law CenterAdvocacy group for consumer justice, particularly for the low income and elderly populations. Also publishes consumer law texts. Not Massachusetts specific.
Massachusetts Laws
STATUTES
MGL c.93A - Regulation of Business Practices for Consumer Protection - is the main consumer protection law in Massachusetts. Also known as the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, Chapter 93A was enacted in 1967 as a "little FTC Act" - or counterpart to the Federal Trade Commission Act. Under Chapter 93A, any person can sue any other who commits an unfair or deceptive act or practice while engaged in trade or commerce, resulting in loss of money or property.
** See Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (in print or on Westlaw), or Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (in print or on Lexis), for the annotated statute which includes notes of decision and references to other primary and secondary sources.
REGULATIONS
940 CMR 3 - Office of the Attorney General: Consumer Protection Division: General Regulations
Other Secondary Sources
MASSACHUSETTS PRACTICE
Mass. Practice (available in print and on WestlawNext) is a state legal encyclopedia. Consult the volumes on Consumer Law (35, 35A, 36 and 36A) for an overview of topics in consumer protection. For example:
- Chapter 4: Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices: Chapter 93A
LAW REVIEWS / LAW JOURNALS
In addition to their expert analysis, law review and law journal articles are well-researched and contain citations to primary law and other secondary sources. Find them on Westlaw,Lexis, and especially in HeinOnline's Law Journal Library.
Search terms to try: consumer protection, 93A, deceptive practices, deceptive trade, unfair trade, deceptive advertising, unfair trade practices, commercial law
Library Staff
Subject Headings
To locate other relevant books and articles in ScholarOneSearch, try a SUBJECT search using one of these Library of Congress subject headings:
- Competition, unfair -- Massachusetts
- Consumer protection -- Law and legislation -- Massachusetts
- Consumer protection -- Law and legislation -- Massachusetts -- Trial practice
- Actions and defenses -- Massachusetts
- Class Action Lawsuits -- Laws, regulations and rules
Acknowledgment
Thank you to Brittany Strojny (Legal Reference Librarian, 2015) for her contributions to this guide.