Kathleen C. Engel

Biography

Kathleen Engel is a national authority on mortgage finance and regulation, subprime and predatory lending, consumer credit, and housing and credit discrimination.

Her many publications include a 2011 book published by Oxford University Press, The Subprime Virus: Reckless Credit, Regulatory Failure and Next Steps (with Prof. Pat McCoy) and articles in Harvard Business Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Harvard Journal of Legislation, Texas Law Review, Washington University Law Quarterly, Fordham Law Review, The Journal of Economics and Business, and Housing Policy Debate.

Professor Engel presents her award-winning research in academic, banking, and policy forums throughout the country and around the world. Her analysis of financial services markets and the laws that regulate them regularly catches the attention of the press; The New York Times, Business Week, The Economist, ABC News, and The Wall Street Journal have all cited her work.

Professor Engel has advised numerous federal and state agencies on various matters related to financing of loans. Among her various public service activities, she sits on the boards of directors of Consumer Reports, the International Association of Consumer Law, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. She previously served on the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors' Consumer Advisory Council.

Professor Engel has taught courses on consumer credit, comparative consumer financial regulation, the financial crisis, torts, civil procedure, employment law, and employment discrimination. Kathleen Engel has been employed at Suffolk University Law School since August 2009. She currently holds the title of Research Professor of Law. Previously, Kathleen held the position of Assoc. Dean for Intellectual Life (August 2010 - July 2013). Before teaching at Suffolk, Kathleen held the position of Professor, while working at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Kathleen occupied this position for 10 years (January 1999 - January 2009). Kathleen completed a JD in Law cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin, in 1988. Additionally, Kathleen received an A.B. in Government cum laude, in 1982, from Smith College. Following Law School, she clerked on the Fifth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. She was in private practice before becoming a Professor.

Education

• University of Texas Law School, Austin, TX, J.D. cum laude, 1988
• Smith College, Northampton, MA, Government A.B. cum laude, 1982
• Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH 1977

Selected Publications

Selected Articles

• Cox, P. and Engel, K., “Student Loan Reform: Rights Under the Law, Incentives Under Contract, and Mission Failure Under ED,” 58 Harvard Journal on Legislation 357 (2021)
• Engel, K. and Fitzpatrick, T., “Complexity, Complicity, and Liability up the Securitization Food Chain: Investor and Arranger Exposure to Consumer Claims,” 2 Harvard Business Law Review 345 (2012)
• Bostic, Bostic, R., Chomsisengphet, S., Engel, K., McCoy, P., Pennington-Cross, A. and Wachter, S., “Mortgage Product Substitution and State Anti-Predatory Lending Laws: Better Loans and Better Borrowers?” 40 Atlantic Economic Journal 273 (2012)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Turning a Blind Eye: Wall Street Finance of Predatory Lending” 75 Fordham Law Review 2039 (2007) (recipient of the American College of Financial Services Lawyers “Best Publishable Article Award” in 2007)
• Engel, K., “Do Cities Have Standing? Redressing the Externalities of Predatory Lending” 38 Connecticut Law Review 355 (2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., "A Tale of Three Markets: The Law and Economics of Predatory Lending," 80 Texas Law Review 1255 (2002) 

Books

• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., The Subprime Virus: Reckless Credit, Regulatory Failure and Next Steps (Oxford University Press 2011) (recipient of the American College of Financial Services Lawyers “Best Book Award” in 2011)

Selected Book Chapters

• Engel, K., “Can Consumer Law Solve the Problem of Complexity in U.S. Consumer Credit Products?” in Credit, Consumers and the Law: After the Global Storm (Routledge 2016)
• Engel, K. and Fitzpatrick T., “A Framework for Consumer Protection in Home Mortgage Lending,” The American Mortgage System: Crisis and Reform (University of Pennsylvania Press) (2011)
• Bostic, R., Engel, K., McCoy, P., Pennington-Cross, A., and Wachter, S., “The Impact of State Antipredatory Lending Laws: Policy Implications and Insights” in Borrowing to Live: Consumer and Mortgage Credit Revisited (Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University and Brookings Institution Press) (2008)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “From Credit Denial to Predatory Lending: the Challenge of Sustainable Minority Homeownership” in Segregation: The Rising Costs for America (Routledge) (2008)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Predatory Lending and Community Development at Loggerheads” in Financing Low Income Communities:  Models, Obstacles, and Future Directions (Russell Sage 2007) 

Selected Media

• Engel, Kathleen, “NACA Made a Bold Move to Prevent Consumer Harm and Won,” National Association of Consumer Advocates (January 26, 2022)
• Engel, Kathleen, “Cleveland Ahead of its Time in Subprime Loan Lawsuits,” Cleveland Plain Dealer (December 2013)
• Engel, Kathleen, “Currents, Continents and Consumer Law,” Consumer Law & Policy Blog (September 2013)
• Engel, Kathleen, “The Virus that Engulfed Us All,” American Institute for Economic Research (August 2012)
• Engel, K., “Room for Debate: The Cram-Down Proposal,” New York Times, (January 25, 2012)
• Engel, K., “Credit Scoring: The Next Frontier,” The Conglomerate Blog (January 22, 2012)
• Engel, K., “Preemption Litigation: What to Expect,” The Conglomerate Blog (January 18, 2012)
• Engel, K. and Fitzpatrick T., “Complexity, Complicity and Liability Up the Securitization Food Chain,” The Conglomerate Blog (January 16, 2012)
• Engel, K., “Reform Credit Scoring,” Russell Sage Foundation Forum: Ideas for the CFPB (2011)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P. “The Subprime Crisis: Who Knew What When?” Communities and Banking (Fall 2010)
• Engel, K., “Financial Services Reform,” The Federalist Society Online Debate Series (May 2008)
• Engel, K., “Help Vulnerable Borrowers,” Business Week (September 20, 2007)
• Engel, K., “Cleveland Can't Wait to Solve the Subprime Mortgage Crisis,” The Plain Dealer (September 19, 2007)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Assignee Liability for Predatory Lending” Credit Slips Blog (December 15, 2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Suitability, Now More than Ever” Creditslips Blog (December 14, 2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Automated Underwriting: Ten Years Later” Creditslips Blog (December 13, 2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “HMDA Reporting of Credit Scores” Creditslips Blog (December 12, 2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Why Comparison Shopping is Impossible in Subprime” Creditslips Blog (December 11, 2006)
• Engel, K. and McCoy, P., “Mortgage Rate Disparities Hurt Borrowers, Communities,” The Plain Dealer (September 29, 2006)

Selected Honors and Awards

• American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers “Best Book Award” (2011)
• Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association William G. Stapleton Award for Faculty Excellence (2008)
• Cleveland State University Merit Recognition Award for Research (2004 and 2007)
• American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers “Best Publishable Article Award” (2007)
• Board of Directors, National Association of Consumer Advocates (2022- present)
• Board of Directors, Consumer Reports (2018- present)
• Board of Directors, International Association of Consumer Law (2013- present)
• Member, Consumer Advisory Board, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2015-2018)
• Member, Consumer Advisory Council, Federal Reserve Board of Governors (2008- 2010)

Bar Admittance

• Massachusetts 1990