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Ellen Harnick ‌ ‌

Ellen Harnick

Executive Vice President & Director of State Policy

Consumer Finance

Ellen Harnick is an executive vice president and director of state policy at the Center for Responsible Lending. Based in Oakland, California, Ellen leads CRL’s state-level policy work across the United States. 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.

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

Monday, April 28, 2025

91-year-old veteran faces snowballing payday loan with 682% interest rate. Here's how it is legal

Monday, December 23, 2024

The Tribal Lending Industry Offers Quick Cash Online at Outrageous Interest Rates. Here’s How It’s Survived.

Friday, June 28, 2024

A watchdog group targets payday lenders with a ‘2 strikes’ rule to help borrowers

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Payday lenders aim to evade federal probes as borrowers plead for help

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Conservatives hope Supreme Court defangs US consumer watchdog

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Center for Responsible Lending 
302 West Main Street, 
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(919) 313-8500 

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Washington, DC 20006 
(202) 349-1850 

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Oakland, CA 94612 
(510) 379-5500

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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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