Judge Peter H. Carroll was selected to be the next Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California. He will assume the post on January 1, 2011. Judge Carroll succeeds Judge Vincent P. Zurzolo, who has served as Chief Bankruptcy Judge since 2007. Judge Carroll will be the sixth Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District.
Judge Carroll received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Juris Doctorate degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, where he spent 14 years in private practice. Upon returning to California, Judge Carroll became an Assistant United States Trustee for the Department of Justice. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he served as Director of the California Bankruptcy Forum, as well as Director and President of the Central California Bankruptcy Association. He has served as a bankruptcy judge for the Central District since 2002.
Judge Carroll's appointment as Chief Bankruptcy Judge will run through 2014.
Judge Catherine E. Bauer and Judge Deborah J. Saltzman were sworn in as bankruptcy judges for the Central District in early 2010. Both judges maintain their chambers in the Riverside Division.
Judge Bauer took her oath of office from Chief Judge Zurzolo on February 26. Judge Bauer filled the vacant judgeship of Judge Mitchel Goldberg, who had retired in April 2008. Before her appointment to the bench, Judge Bauer was with the Office of the U.S. Attorney and had served on the Central District's bankruptcy mediation panel.
Judge Saltzman was sworn in by Chief Judge Zurzolo on March 18. Judge Saltzman filled the vacant judgeship of Judge David Naugle, who had retired in September 2008. Prior to joining the Court, Judge Saltzman practiced bankruptcy law for 12 years, most recently as an associate with the law firm of DLA Piper in Los Angeles. Actively involved in her community, Judge Saltzman had also taught numerous continuing education programs on bankruptcy and restructuring.
Scott C. Clarkson, Mark S. Wallace, and Wayne Johnson were selected to be the newest judges to join the Central District. They fill vacant judgeships approved by the Ninth Circuit Council in late 2009 to address the Court's unprecedented growth in filings.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Clarkson was the managing attorney of Clarkson Gore & Marsella, APLC. He was a direct observer of and participant in the creation of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Clarkson is also a longtime member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He served on its Bankruptcy Committee as chair from 2004 to 2006, and its Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section as chair from 2008 to 2009. He is expected to take his oath of office in February 2011.
Mr. Wallace has been of counsel at the law firm of Stutman Treister & Glatt, P.C. since 1991. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum and has served as its liaison to the Pro Bono Bankruptcy Subcommittee since 2006. He also served on the Board of Directors of Public Counsel from 2006 to 2009. From 2005 to 2007, he served as chair of the Bankruptcy and Workouts Committee, an organization in which he was a founding member. He is expected to take his oath of office in February 2011.
Mr. Johnson has been a sole practitioner since 2003. Prior to that, he was a bankruptcy attorney in the Commerce and Finance Group of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LLP. Mr. Johnson was an adjunct professor of law at Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, California from 1999 to 2001. He has published numerous articles on bankruptcy matters and is an active participant in bar association activities and programs, including the Bar Advisory Board for the Central District, the Inland Empire Bankruptcy Forum, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Mr. Johnson is expected to take his oath of office in 2011.
Both Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Wallace will maintain their chambers in the Santa Ana Division and hear Riverside Division cases by videoconference. Mr. Wallace will also hear cases in the Santa Ana Division. Mr. Johnson will maintain chambers in the Riverside Division.
In August 2010, Judge Samuel L. Bufford retired with almost 25 years of service with the Central District. He presided over more than 100,000 cases during his time with the Court.
Judge Bufford was appointed on November 25, 1985. During his time on the bench, he served on the Rules Committee that rewrote the Court's Local Rules after the adoption of the present bankruptcy code, and worked with attorneys to develop Local Rules for chapter 13 cases. Upon his retirement from the Bankruptcy Court, Judge Bufford joined the faculty at Pennsylvania State University, School of Law and School of International Relations.
In September, recalled Judge William Altenberger began assisting with the Riverside Division's caseload. Since late September, he has overseen hearings regarding reaffirmation agreements and reliefs from stay, as well as hearing some trials. Judge Altenberger was appointed bankruptcy judge for the Central District of Illinois in 1985. He has been working as a recalled judge since his retirement in 2000.
On February 25, Judge Maureen A. Tighe was honored with the Judge of the Year Award by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SFVBA). Over 300 guests attended the annual Judges' Night Dinner held in Woodland Hills where she received this honor. At the event, she expressed her pride in the attorneys of the SFVBA and acknowledged the importance of the work being accomplished at the San Fernando Valley Division's Help Desk. Judge Tighe is the 18th recipient of this award since its inception in 1992.
On February 1, 2010, Kathleen J. Campbell commenced her duties as the Executive Officer/Clerk of Court of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Announcing the selection, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Vincent P. Zurzolo said, "The judges of our court unanimously support and applaud Kathy's return. We are confident she will provide the innovative and vibrant leadership our Clerk's staff and the public deserve."
Ms. Campbell, the Central District's fourth Clerk of Court, began her career with the Central District in 1980 and held a variety of management positions over the following decades, serving the Court for over 15 years in total. As Chief Deputy of Administration from 2001 to 2006, she oversaw the Court's transition from paper to electronic filing. Before returning to the Court, Ms. Campbell served as Human Resources Manager for the City of Santa Paula. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California (USC), where she was enrolled in the Judicial Administration Program.
In accordance with the Court Governance Plan, judicial committees appointed by the Chief Judge address court-related issues and provide feedback to the entire Board of Judges regarding court operations and administrative issues. The Chief Judge and the Executive Officer/Clerk of Court are ex officio members of each committee. Clerk's Office staff members attend meetings and support the judicial committees.
The members of the 2010 judicial committees were:
Vincent P. Zurzolo, Chair
Alan M. Ahart
Theodor C. Albert
Sheri Bluebond
Ellen Carroll
Peter H. Carroll
Robin L. Riblet
Theodor C. Albert, Chair
Peter H. Carroll
Thomas B. Donovan
Sheri Bluebond, Chair
Robert N. Kwan
Robin L. Riblet
Deborah J. Saltzman
Maureen A. Tighe
Ellen Carroll, Chair
Peter H. Carroll
Geraldine Mund
Robin L. Riblet
Robert N. Kwan
Robert N. Kwan, Chair
Catherine E. Bauer
Meredith A. Jury
Victoria S. Kaufman
Kathleen Thompson
Ernest M. Robles, Chair
Catherine E. Bauer
Barry Russell
Maureen A. Tighe
Richard M. Neiter, Chair
Alan M. Ahart
Samuel L. Bufford
Geraldine Mund
Deborah J. Saltzman