Investor Justice Clinic

The Investor Justice Clinic was established in 2002 by USF School of Law Professor Robert Talbot to help small investors who have a limited income and limited access to an attorney. The Investor Justice Clinic offers free legal assistance in actions involving allegations of wrongdoing by securities firms and/or their employees.

Under the supervision of law professors, lawyers and financial experts, law students appear in arbitrations and other proceedings before the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) as well as the NYSE Arca (formerly the Pacific Stock Exchange). The clinic is officially recognized by the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The clinic handles more than a dozen cases each semester. Clients must have a family income of less then $50,000 a year, and their loss must be less than $25,000 although these guidelines are flexible for those who can't find a lawyer.

Students enrolled in the clinic also lead investor education seminars at senior centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. With research showing that baby boomers and older investors are natural targets for a range of fraud practices, the free seminars are designed to raise awareness about techniques used to deceive seniors, so they will be able to recognize the tactics and protect themselves.

Client Eligibility Standards 

• Each request for representation will be considered individually to determine eligibility in terms of household income and amount of claim.
• The clinic may waive eligibility guidelines if the investor cannot obtain legal representation. Our focus is on resolving a case though mediation, but the clinic will also represent investors through arbitration proceedings.
• Eligible clients are not charged legal fees.
• The clinic handles cases throughout the western United States 

See the Clinic in Action

Staff

Professor Robert Talbot, Clinic Founder

Professor Talbot is director of the Investor Justice Clinic, as well as the Internet and Intellectual Property Justice Clinic and the Mediation Clinic. Talbot practiced criminal law privately and as a public defender before teaching law. He has developed training programs for the San Francisco Police Department and San Mateo County Police Academy, and been a consultant to several state agencies, including the State of California Department of Water Resources and the California Tax Franchise Board. He is a legal analyst who has appeared in numerous media outlets, including CNN, CBS, local network affiliates, and Tech TV. He is also a consultant for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Examiner.

Adjunct Professor Brett Alcala

Adjunct Professor Alcala is an experienced securities attorney and a registered investment advisor. His practice focuses on securities regulation and litigation involving stockbrokers and investment advisors. Formerly, he served as an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now called FINRA. He is a member of the Public Investor Arbitration Bar Association.

Adjunct Professor Elizabeth Falk

Adjunct Professor Falk is president and founder of Falk Financial Analysis, a firm specializing in securities and options account analysis reports for securities arbitration and court cases. Previously, she worked for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and PaineWebber Inc.

Adjunct Professor Leon Borstein

Adjunct Professor Borstein is an attorney specializing in litigation, commercial law, securities, matrimonial law, entertainment law, and Criminal Law. Formerly has served as professor of economics at the University Gabriel Rene Morero, Bolivia, assistant district attorney in Kings County, New York, and chief special prosecutor for a New York City nursing home investigation.

Adjunct Professor Robert Muh

Adjunct Professor Muh is co-founder and CEO of Sutter Securities, Inc. Sutter Securities is a full-service investment banking firm headquartered in San Francisco. Formerly, he was senior managing director in charge of the San Francisco region of Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.

Board of Advisors