BOSTON — September 14, 2026 — The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), a preeminent force in advocacy for low-income and vulnerable consumers, announced a significant transition in its governance structure today. In a move that signals a renewed focus on the intersection of private practice, academic rigor, and civil legal aid, the organization has appointed two new members to its Board of Directors and inaugurated a new Board President.
Jonathan Kravetz, a distinguished Boston-based attorney and longtime board member, has been elected to lead the Board of Directors. He succeeds Michael Ferry, a Missouri-based legal aid stalwart who held the position for an unprecedented 21 years. Simultaneously, the organization has bolstered its intellectual and strategic bandwidth by welcoming consumer protection expert Jim Kowalski Jr. and renowned law professor Patricia McCoy to the board.
The Core Transition: A Changing of the Guard
The appointment of Jonathan Kravetz as President marks the conclusion of an era for the NCLC. Michael Ferry’s tenure, which began in 2005, coincided with some of the most turbulent periods in the American consumer finance landscape, including the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent regulatory overhaul.
Kravetz, who recently retired as a partner at the Boston law firm Mintz, brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the role. Having served on the NCLC board since 1990, his appointment ensures a seamless transition of leadership. Richard Dubois, Executive Director of the NCLC, lauded the transition as a pivotal moment for the organization.
"Both Jon Kravetz and Mike Ferry have shared extraordinary leadership and guidance on NCLC’s board for decades," Dubois stated. "I have been so grateful for Jon’s unwavering commitment to NCLC’s mission, and we are incredibly fortunate that he is assuming the board presidency. Mike Ferry has had an immeasurable impact on NCLC in his more than two decades as Board President. I will miss his steady guiding hand and his wisdom, but know that his leadership has put NCLC in a strong position for future success."
Profiles in Advocacy: Welcoming New Board Members
The addition of Jim Kowalski Jr. and Patricia McCoy to the Board of Directors is widely viewed as a strategic maneuver to integrate practical legal aid expertise with high-level regulatory insight.
Jim Kowalski Jr.: The Bridge Between Private Practice and Legal Aid
Jim Kowalski, currently serving as the President and CEO of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) in Florida, is a nationally recognized figure in consumer protection litigation. His career trajectory—from private practice to the helm of a major legal aid organization—reflects the NCLC’s own dual-track approach of combining high-stakes litigation with accessible justice.
A graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law and UC Berkeley, Kowalski has earned acclaim for his commitment to public service, including the Haas Public Service Award. For Kowalski, joining the board is a return to his roots. "NCLC was an integral part of both my introduction to and continued development as a consumer protection attorney, first in private practice and now at civil legal aid," Kowalski remarked. "Each one of the clients I’ve helped owes a debt to NCLC, as do I, and I welcome the opportunity to give back as a member of the Board."
Patricia McCoy: Academic Rigor and Regulatory Insight
Patricia McCoy joins the board as the Liberty Mutual Insurance Professor at Boston College Law School. Her resume reads like a map of the modern regulatory landscape: she is the founder of the Mortgage Markets group at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and has served as a consultant to the U.S. Treasury.
McCoy’s academic work, which focuses on banking, insurance, and securities regulation, provides the NCLC with a specialized intellectual asset as it navigates increasingly complex financial technologies and consumer credit markets. Reflecting on her appointment, McCoy shared a personal narrative of her journey. "I started my legal career at Legal Services in rural Kansas, serving low-income workers and two tribal reservations. Years later, NCLC’s treatises proved essential in helping me unknot the legal landscape of subprime mortgages," she noted. "To join NCLC’s board is the deepest honor and signifies coming full circle."
Chronology of Influence: Three Decades of NCLC Governance
The history of the NCLC Board is a testament to long-term institutional stability, a rarity in the nonprofit advocacy sector.
- 1990: Jonathan Kravetz joins the Board of Directors, beginning a 36-year commitment to the organization.
- 1995: Michael Ferry joins the Board of Directors, initiating a career of service that would span three decades.
- 2005: Michael Ferry is elected President of the Board, beginning his 21-year tenure.
- 2008–2010: Under the leadership of the board, the NCLC becomes a critical voice in the aftermath of the mortgage crisis, contributing to the development of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
- 2026: Michael Ferry retires from the presidency; Jonathan Kravetz is elected as his successor. Jim Kowalski Jr. and Patricia McCoy join the board to provide a new generation of strategic oversight.
The Economic Context: Why This Matters
The NCLC occupies a unique space in American law. It serves as a resource for legal aid attorneys, private practitioners, and policymakers alike. The board members are responsible for overseeing the organization’s mission to protect low-income and vulnerable consumers through policy analysis, advocacy, and litigation.
Supporting Data and Organizational Reach
The NCLC’s impact is measured not just in litigation, but in the creation of comprehensive legal resources. Their treatises, mentioned by both McCoy and Kowalski as essential tools, are cited by courts and government agencies across the United States.
The integration of Kowalski’s experience in Jacksonville—a region often at the forefront of predatory lending issues—and McCoy’s regulatory background suggests that the NCLC is preparing to address:
- Algorithmic Lending: The use of AI in credit scoring and potential biases therein.
- Mortgage Market Fragility: A persistent focus given current economic volatility.
- Student Debt and Consumer Credit: Continuing the fight against predatory servicing practices.
Official Responses and Strategic Implications
Richard Dubois emphasized that the addition of these experts is not merely a personnel change, but a strategic enhancement of the organization’s capability. "An NCLC partner for decades, Jim Kowalski brings deep experience in both legal aid and private litigation, as well as sound governance experience," Dubois said. "Patricia McCoy’s academic and regulatory expertise add an additional layer of intellectual capital to NCLC’s board. In addition, both are well known in the consumer law community as collaborative, public-minded, and committed to economic justice."
Implications for Future Advocacy
The shift in board composition suggests that the NCLC will continue to act as a bridge between the courtroom and the classroom. By balancing the practical, "on-the-ground" experience of legal aid directors like Kowalski with the high-level policy expertise of professors like McCoy, the organization is positioning itself to be a primary advisor to federal regulators.
As the financial sector undergoes rapid digitalization, the NCLC’s new leadership will likely face challenges that their predecessors could not have anticipated in 1995. However, with Kravetz’s institutional memory and the fresh perspectives of the new members, the organization appears well-equipped to maintain its status as the "gold standard" for consumer protection advocacy in the United States.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Justice
The transition at the National Consumer Law Center is more than a change of names on a masthead. It represents a deliberate continuity of values—a commitment to the idea that the legal system should function as a shield for those most vulnerable to economic exploitation.
As Michael Ferry steps back, he leaves behind an organization that has become synonymous with consumer rights. As Jonathan Kravetz steps forward, he brings with him the wisdom of a long-serving guardian of that mission, supported by two of the most respected minds in the field. The NCLC remains, as it has been for decades, a formidable force for equity in the American economy.
