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Ellen Harnick ‌ ‌

Ellen Harnick

Executive Vice President, Western Regional Director, Director of State Policy

Debt Collection & Settlement

Ellen Harnick is an executive vice president, the western regional director, and director of state policy at the Center for Responsible Lending. Based in Oakland, California, Ellen leads CRL’s efforts in the Western United States and coordinates state level enforcement strategies. She works with diverse stake-holders, state legislators, and Attorneys General from both parties to curtail lending abuses and advance reasonable consumer protections. At the federal level, Ellen has testified on mortgage and consumer protection matters at congressional hearings on interventions needed to mitigate the impacts of the foreclosure crisis, and maintaining access to responsible credit for low-income families. Prior to covering western states, Ellen led CRL’s policy work in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Before joining CRL, Ellen was a partner in the New York law firm of Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP, where she represented corporate clients. During 2001-2002, she served in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, focused on developing market economic laws and the transition to democracy. Ellen graduated from Brandeis University and the Georgetown University Law Center.

News

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Colorado's new law on high-cost lending may be a model for other states

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Colorado Governor Signs Leading-Edge Law Preventing Evasion of State Usury Caps

Friday, June 2, 2023

Fintechs Fear Contagion of Colorado’s Interest Rate Import Ban

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Bank-fintech partnerships win key battle, but war is far from over

Friday, February 11, 2022

Lower-income and minority households assuming bigger debt risks

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Building on Over 40 Years of Lending Experience

CRL’s expertise gives it trusted insight to evaluate the impact  of financial products and policies on the wealth and economic stability of Asian, Black, Latino, rural, women, military, low-wage, low-wealth, and early-career workers and communities.

CRL is an affiliate of Self-Help, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit community development financial institutions. Our work leverages the strength of partnerships with national and local consumer and civil rights organizations.

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