Laura James

Research and Analysis

Our research informs the public and policymakers by examining economic issues of importance to those in our local communities, across the nation, and around the world.
- Research groups
- By publication
  
  We publish research and analyses to keep audiences informed of economic trends in our region and nationwide. View latest releases or explore our archive.
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- Inflation questions?
  Visit our Center for Inflation Research for all things inflation—from general information on how inflation works and why it matters to the latest data and analysis on current inflationary trends.

Region and Community

We represent and gather information from the Fourth Federal Reserve District, spanning Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky. These resources are useful for our region, the communities we serve, and communities across the United States.
- Our region
  
  Learn about our work to advance understanding of economic trends affecting the Fourth District.
- Our communities
  
  The Cleveland Fed offers numerous resources to promote economic opportunity for residents across our region and the US.
- Events
  
  Hear from local leaders and community development experts about economic problems their communities face and the solutions they are putting forth.
- By topic
  
  Looking for the Fed’s work on a particular subject? Narrow your search to the areas that interest you.

Education

Learn economic basics, dive into inflation, and get educational resources and games for yourself or to share with others.
- What’s new?
  
  Explore the latest educational resources from the Cleveland Fed—from interactive articles and video explainers to games and virtual exhibits.
- Financial Literacy and Career Readiness
  
  Browse the Cleveland Fed’s suite of programs and resources for informative ways to learn about personal finance or career readiness.
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  Visit us virtually or in person to learn more about our history and our ongoing work to promote financial literacy throughout our region.
  - Explore our virtual exhibits
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- Financial Literacy Curriculum
  Learn more about resources supporting required high school financial literacy courses.

Banking and Payments

We supervise financial institutions, support American consumers’ financial security, and maintain the financial stability and payment systems for the US Treasury.
- Banking research and tools
  
  The Cleveland Fed provides a range of tools for tracking trends in the lending environment.
- For consumers
  
  Learn about the resources we offer to help people in the community navigate the financial system.
- For financial institutions
  
  Understand the various requirements for Fed-chartered financial institutions and discover the range of services available to them—from cash services and reserve balance data to the discount window.
- Supporting the financial system
  
  Find out how the Cleveland Fed supervises member banks to ensure financial-system stability and support the US Treasury.

About Us

We serve the American people as part of the US central bank. We support the US economy and our region by studying economic conditions and issues that impact our communities, serving financial institutions, and providing economic education and resources for all.
- Our leadership
  
  Meet the individuals leading our mission, including the president and executive leadership team, advisory council members, and the boards of directors of each Cleveland Fed branch.
- Our work in the community
  
  Community outreach is central to the Fed’s mission. Find out about new programs, upcoming events, and other ways to connect with us.
- Who we are
  
  The Fed does far more than inform monetary policy. Learn about the mission, structure, and role of our organization, both regionally and nationally.
- We have a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and opportunity for our employees and the communities we serve.

Person

Laura James is counsel at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She is primarily responsible for providing legal advice to the Bank on a broad array of corporate legal topics including contracts, immigration, discount window, and support for the Bank's Law Enforcement Unit training. She joined the Cleveland Reserve Bank as an attorney in 2011 and was named senior attorney in 2015. She was promoted to counsel in 2020. Before joining the Bank, she was in private practice with a focus in the areas of creditors' rights, insurance defense, product liability, and commercial litigation. Mrs. James earned a BA in Social Relations and Environmental Economics from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a JD from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Forefront

Forefront

The Things Our Neighbors Care About

Bruce Fallick Laura James Matt Klesta Amy L. Koehnen Michelle Park Lazette Abigail R. Zemrock

10.20.2014 | Fall 2014, Vol. 5, No. 2

Cleveland Fed research researchers also study matters that are common to everyday life such as the well-being of neighborhoods, household debt, and retirement security.

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