OUTREACH HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Court provides pro se, or self-represented, debtors with access to pro bono and low-cost legal services. In 2011, the Central District’s divisional pro bono programs cumulatively assisted 8,821 self-represented parties.
  • With the opening of the Joint Federal Pro Se Clinic in November, all five divisions of the Central District now have onsite legal aid clinics for self-represented litigants.
  • The Court began using social media to disseminate information, launching a Twitter account (@cacbnews) and a YouTube channel (CACBTV) to provide real-time updates and educational materials on bankruptcy.
  • Judges and staff from all five divisions of the Central District participated in educational dinners, panels, and seminars for the benefit of the legal community.
  • California Central was selected as one of three bankruptcy courts in the nation to participate in the Pro Se Pathfinder, a project to develop an electronic filing module for self-represented debtors.
  • The Bankruptcy Mediation Program continues to provide the public with effective and reliable assistance in resolving disputes without the time and expense associated with litigation. From the Program’s inception in 1995 through the end of the 2010-2011 term, 4,486 matters were assigned to mediation, 4,142 were concluded, and 2,593 were settled.
  • Court employees donated over $41,000 to charities through the Combined Federal Campaign in 2011, the year of the campaign’s 50th anniversary.