In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission held a series of significant debates. The FTC invited consumer advocates, academics, arbitration providers and debt collectors.   These recorded roundtable discussions, entitled “Debt Collection: Protecting Consumers,”  were held in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.  The vigorous debate was intended to stimulate and inform the FTC’s role in regulating the debt collection process.  Nancy Barron was invited to join the panel discussion on September 29, 2009, as a consumer advocate.  She argued for protecting consumers’ access to the courts, which is inhibited by mandatory binding arbitration whereby consumers may be subjected to unaffordable fees, lose their right to a jury trial, have limited discovery of documents needed to prove their claim, and lack legal representation.   Transcripts of the discussion can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/debtcollectround/index.shtm#090805.