# The Investor Justice Act of 2022

This bill creates a grant program to fund legal clinics that help everyday investors who have been wronged by financial companies but don't have the money to hire lawyers. Specifically, it sets up funding through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to support clinics that provide free legal representation to investors with smaller claims—those under $100,000—in disputes with brokers and financial firms.

The money would go to clinics run by law schools or nonprofit organizations that currently help investors navigate arbitration and mediation processes. These are the formal dispute-resolution procedures that investors often have to go through when they have problems with their investments or brokers. Right now, many small investors can't afford lawyers for these disputes, so they either give up or represent themselves against well-funded financial companies. This bill aims to level the playing field by funding free legal help. The program would distribute up to $5 million per year total, with individual clinics receiving no more than $150,000 annually, and clinics would need to match at least half the federal funding with their own resources.

The bill includes safeguards to ensure the money is used properly. Clinics receiving grants must report back to the SEC on how they spent the funds, and the program allows for multi-year grants lasting up to three years. This gives clinics stability to plan their services. The bill doesn't require any specific amount of funding—it just authorizes Congress to appropriate whatever money is needed—so whether this program actually gets funded depends on future budget decisions.

Investor Justice Act of 2022

Quigley, Mike

Investor Justice Act of 2022 This bill establishes grants for investor advocacy clinics. To qualify, clinics associated with a law school or a tax-exempt organization must provide free legal representation to investors with securities arbitration and mediation claims pending before a registered national securities association.