Food Litigation: Consumer Protection, Regulation, and Class Actions

 Food: it’s what for dinner. Recent years have seen a drastic increase in food litigation cases in federal and state courts across the country as consumers challenge food labeling, marketing, and supply chain claims and food companies themselves battle it out.  This seminar will discuss such consumer protection and other food litigation matters, the top claims and defenses, and the changing regulatory landscape—from the rise of cannabis and CBD to “natural” products to alternative meat and milk products. The seminar will provide opportunities to analyze standing and preemption as applied to food labeling challenges as well as how food labeling is regulated by federal agencies but supplemented by private-party litigation. The seminar will provide insights into the specific litigation tactics and strategies employed by lawyers in food and consumer packaged goods litigation matters. Grading will be based on class participation and a final paper, which may fulfill the SAW requirement. This seminar is particularly appropriate for those interested in consumer protection law, class action litigation, public health, and regulation. There are no prerequisites and no prior knowledge is required, other than a healthy appetite for learning more about this fast-evolving field.