Bone up on Michigan bankruptcy practice

Nov. 11 is a court holiday, so it's the perfect time for bankruptcy practitioners to get the latest at the American Bankruptcy Institute Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference.

Things get underway at the Troy Marriott beginning at 7 a.m. with a breakfast and registration period sponsored by Trott & Trott. There's a full day of informational sessions by leading practitioners and bankruptcy judges.

The luncheon keynote speaker is Amy Crews Cutts, Deputy Chief Economist, Freddie Mac; Washington, D.C. Her topic: "The Economic and Housing Market Outlook - When Might We See Bottom?"

Complete information and registration form here.

Free wi-fi available at Eastern District Bankruptcy Court

The Eastern District of Michigan's bankruptcy court bar is tipping its collective hat to three chapter 13 trustees, Krispen Carroll, David Ruskin and Tammy Terry, and technology wizard Rich Collins, for making free wireless internet access available at the court's West Fort Street location in Detroit.

The trustees are footing the bill, and Collins arranged and supervised the installation, says Chief Judge Steven Rhodes.

The wi-fi covers courtrooms and conference rooms on 18th and 19th floors of the courthouse.

Rhodes says the court okayed "this service to provide the bar and the public with access to internet sites that may be needed while attending court, such as office networks and servers, ECF, the Court's order processing program, the chapter 13 trustee's websites and legal research websites."

Log on and other information here.

All-star cast at Western District bankruptcy seminar

The Bankruptcy Section of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Michigan has an impressive roster of judges and practitioners lined up for its 20th annual seminar at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs later this month.

The seminar opens July 24 and runs through the 26th. Educational sessions on Chapters 7, 11 and 13 are available, along with a session on ethics and a review of Michigan bankruptcy case law by judges from other jurisdictions.

On the lighter side, bring your clubs and a hearty appetite: there is a golf outing, a reception and plenty of opportunities for some good eats.

Complete information here.

Brush up on bankruptcy trial skills and local court rules

Consumer bankruptcy filings surged in February, with 76,120 new cases nationwide, more than 10,000 from the year before, reports the American Bankruptcy Institute.

"February's bankruptcy spike - the highest single month since the 2005 law changes - forecasts the start of more to come for the balance of 2008," says ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano.

This could be good time to check out the Litigation Skills Symposium sponsored by the ABI, and the Tulane University Law School at New Orleans. Space is limited.

Locally, there's an April 11 seminar to review and discuss changes (effective May 5) to the Eastern District of Michigan Local Bankruptcy Rules. Two sessions will available at the Trott Financial Center, 31440 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills: business bankruptcy rules from 1 to 2:45 p.m. and consumer bankruptcy rules from 3:15 to 5 p.m. Registration info here. The cost is $35 if you don't have a copy of the new rules, $30 if you do. Helpful hint: download the new rules here.

The seminar is sponsored by Consumer Bankruptcy Association, the Debtor/Creditor Rights Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association - Debtor/Creditor Section.

Eastern District Bankruptcy Court seeks pro bono volunteers

If you're a member of the bankruptcy bar, Eastern District Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge Steven Rhodes is looking for your help.

Specifically, 150 or more of you.

Judge Rhodes is seeking volunteers to help with the court's pro bono program.

"The Court's pro bono program provides free legal services to indigent debtors involved in adversary proceedings related to the discharge and non-dischargeability of certain debts. The program also provides service to an indigent former-spouse of a debtor regarding the dischargeability of obligations in the judgment of divorce. The program does not provide legal services related to bankruptcy cases."

Judge Rhodes says if a couple hundred attorneys get on board, each could expect to get an appointment under the program every three or four years.

Click here for more information and an application.

Business, bankruptcy, litigation and evidence: FBA plans Feb. 6 seminar

The Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is accepting on-line pre-registrations for a Feb. 6 seminar, "Trial Advocacy: Financial Issues In Commercial Litigation and Business Bankruptcies."

The 8:30 a.m. event at the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in Detroit features two demonstrations: "Financial Issues In Commercial Litigation & Business Bankruptcies" and "Presenting Evidence And Expert Witnesses In Business And Bankruptcy Proceedings."

More information here.

Bankruptcy filings soar, conference will cover client issues

From the American Bankruptcy Institute comes word that October consumer bankruptcy filings were the most ever since the Bankruptcy Code was revised two years ago.

Filings increased to 75,975, up 10 percent from the previous month. Chapter 13 filings accounted for almost 40 percent of the total and could go higher if Congress passes legislation that would let consumers use bankruptcy to write down their mortgages to avoid foreclosure, says the ABI.

It's a good time to bone up on the new code, and the ABI and the Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Association have just the thing: a Nov. 12 conference at the Detroit Marriott Troy designed especially for Michigan-area bankruptcy practitioners.

Program sessions will include: Means Test Calculating; Litigating the Presumption of Abuse under Section 707; Secured Claims in Chapter 7 and 13; Mock Appellate Argument: "Projected" Disposable Income Issue; New Options When Facing Foreclosure; Consumer Case Management for Debtors' and Creditors' Attorneys and a Judges Panel.

Click here for more information and a link to register.

Shaperio Bankruptcy Symposium: all about Chapter 13

There's still time to register for the 3rd Annual Walter Shaperio Bankruptcy Symposium at the Westin Hotel in Southfield this Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Professor Scott Norberg, from the Florida International University College of Law, is all set to tell bankruptcy practitioners about "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: What does Chapter 13 accomplish for debtors and creditors?"

Things get underway at 6 p.m. Chief Judge Steven Rhodes of the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan would love to see you there.

Here's a registration form with all the details.

For more information, call Leslie Berg at (313) 226-7950 or David Lerner at (248) 901-4010.

Going broke? Join the crowd

One of the few places in Michigan where business is booming these days is the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The court led the nation in filings for six consecutive quarters since the beginning of 2006 through the end of June this year, Chief Judge Steven Rhodes reported in his "State of the Court" address yesterday.

In a 12-month period ending in June, the court had 31,744 filings.

And the court's judges are working harder than most. Rhodes said his court's judges have a weighted caseload of 3,169 each, compared with a national average of 946.

"Stated another way, in order for us to have the average judge's case load, we would need 16.4 bankruptcy judges in our district!" exclaimed Rhodes.

Help is on the way. Rhodes said he doesn't want to be greedy, so he's asked for three more judges. The Judicial Conference of the United States has signed off on the request, congressional support looks good, and federal administrators have told Rhodes to start looking for a place to put the new judges.

On a dour note, Rhodes said Chapter 7 debtors need to be more forthcoming about disclosing administered assets. Thirty-seven percent are not "fessing up" to all that they have.

Rhodes said proposed amendments to the court's local rules, if adopted, will give trustees and the U.S. Attorney's Office more muscle power to enforce asset disclosure rules.

"[O]ne of our new proposed local rules would require the trustee to file a report whenever the trustee discovers an undisclosed asset after the debtor testifies at the meeting of creditors that the schedules are accurate. Another ... would require the debtor to provide additional documents at the meeting of creditors," Rhodes explained.