Bankruptcy Law CLE Course Catalog

Subchapter V is the newest option for debtors to reorganize in bankruptcy. Learn from a panel of experienced subchapter V trustees what it is all about and how subchapter V has changed the bankruptcy landscape for the better.

Join ABI Editor-at-Large Bill Rochelle as he hosts a panel of bankruptcy judges to discuss circuit splits on important consumer bankruptcy issues. This panel will be presented in a fun game-show format where the judges will vote to resolve the issues before they reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, along with Florida’s Middle District, have all set up successful mortgage-mediation programs. This panel will spill the details on how they did it, particularly the ways in which they used web-based portals for document exchanges. Also on tap: the role of mediators and the court’s role in overseeing order processes and timelines.

Law school can seem like a long time ago, especially when a client walks in the door wanting help on filing for personal bankruptcy. This session will provide an overview of chapter 7: the players, bankruptcy estate, automatic stay, initial consultation and means test. Included in the discussion will be exemptions, preparing schedules, the relevant Bankruptcy Code and Rules sections, local rules, and how to know whether your client can or must redeem, reaffirm or surrender. Brush up on your skills and learn what you need to know about one of the core chapters of consumer bankruptcy.

Successful consumer bankruptcy cases often hinge on the intake process, particularly the details gathered on the intake form. What questions should be asked? What resources should be used? Discover best practices for getting the right information from the very beginning, which can avoid all kinds of headaches later. (No one wants to discover a fraudulent transfer at the 11th hour!).

To ease the financial fallout from the pandemic, there could be increased congressional interest in consumer bankruptcy reform. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jerrold Nadler already have proposed a complete overhaul of the consumer bankruptcy system and a new chapter 10 for all individual debtors. Several pending legislative proposals would make it easier to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. Profs. Robert Lawless and Adam Levitin will explain these proposals, the motivating factors behind them, and what else might be coming in the consumer bankruptcy world.

Law firms have ridden the uncertainty of the past two years to unprecedented success. The experiences weren’t universal, however, and market dynamics are starting to shift. In this seminar, we will explore how different segments of the market performed and which firms are best positioned to weather any upcoming changes to market dynamics.

-- Non-CLE Program -- Perhaps the hottest trend in legal tech at the moment involves contract automation and digital contracts. The partnership between legal expertise and artificial intelligence creates new opportunities for efficiency, accuracy, data analytics, and management of complex agreements. With this blending of technology and legal services, there will be ample opportunities for success for attorneys and knowledge professionals who understand how to adapt and specialize in these new professionals roles.

-- NON-CLE Program -- Knowledge management initiatives have proven to be a game-changer within firms and corporations over the years and legal technology has only enhanced this. Given the unique position of knowledge management professionals in their organizations, they are ideally positioned to evaluate legal technology solutions and steer their adoption in practice groups and legal departments. This session will offer insights from KM professionals on the way to a more efficient legal organization.