PUBLIC OUTREACH

Self-Represented Debtors and Pro Bono Services

During 2011, nearly one third (30 percent) of all self-represented filings in the nation were filed in the Central District. Self-represented debtors accounted for almost one quarter (22 percent) of chapter 7 filings, and nearly one half (49 percent) of chapter 13 filings.

To assist the growing population of self-represented debtors, the Court has made pro bono and low-cost legal services available to the public through each division’s self-help desk. In 2011, pro bono programs in the Central District cumulatively assisted 8,821 self-represented parties. A complete listing of pro bono services and contact information is available on the main page of the Court’s website under the heading “Don’t Have an Attorney?”

Court Begins Providing Information to the Public through Twitter and YouTube

The Court began making use of social media to disseminate information to the public in 2011. On February 11, the Court launched a Twitter account that can be reached on a computer or mobile device with internet access. The Court’s Twitter account, @cacbnews, provides real-time updates, including public notices, general orders, announcements of estate sales, Court closures, and Court publications. Within its first three weeks, the Twitter account had 160 subscribers, and by the end of the year that number had doubled. Twitter is a free service and those without a Twitter account can view the Court’s messages (“tweets”) on the Court’s website. The Court’s YouTube channel, CACBTV, launched in May. It features English and Spanish-language educational videos on bankruptcy.

Mediation Program

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California established its Bankruptcy Mediation Program in 1995 to provide the public with effective and reliable assistance in resolving disputes without the time and expense associated with litigation. With 175 members, the mediation panel consists of attorneys and non-attorney professionals such as accountants, real estate brokers, physicians, and professional mediators.

On November 4, the U.S. Bankruptcy and District Courts for the Central District of California co-hosted the Thirteenth Annual Appreciation Luncheon to honor Bankruptcy Court mediators and District Court settlement officers for 2010-2011. Both courts recognized their panel members for their continued dedication and generous service in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Over 100 guests attended the event, including Judge Ahart, Judge Bauer, Judge Brand, Judge Clarkson, and Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell. Judge Russell, the Central District’s Mediation Program Administrator, spoke at the event.

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. The settlement rate has remained at a very favorable 63 percent.

Eighth Annual “Run for Justice”

The Eighth Annual “Run for Justice” was held on Saturday, March 19 at Dodger Stadium. More than 400 individuals participated in this year’s event, along with law firms, corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Judge Maureen Tighe, Project Specialist Robin Beacham, Courtroom Technology Specialist Jennifer Paro, Property and Facilities Technician Anthony Gonzalez, and Career Intern Arturo Arellano ran the race and represented the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The event raised over $68,000 for the Public Counsel Law Center, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit law firms. Public Counsel is responsible for the operation of the Los Angeles Self-Help Desk and is instrumental in providing assistance to debtors on reaffirmation agreements, non-dischargeability actions, and other self-help projects.

Earle Hagen Golf Tournament Raises over $28,000 for the Debtor Assistance Project

The third annual Earle Hagen Memorial Golf Tournament was held on September 19 at the Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, CA. The event is in memory of Earle Hagen, who practiced law for over 40 years and is remembered for his exceptional service and representation of consumers. The tournament was sponsored by the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association and the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum.

This year, Judges Vincent P. Zurzolo, Ernest M. Robles, Maureen A. Tighe, Victoria S. Kaufman, Robert Kwan, Catherine E. Bauer, Scott C. Clarkson, and Recalled Judge Geraldine Mund participated in the event, along with Clerk’s Office staff and approximately 90 attorneys, trustees, and other members of the legal community. The tournament raised over $28,000 with all proceeds going to the Public Counsel’s Debtor Assistance Project, which provides pro bono resources for debtors without legal representation.

Bar Advisory Board

The Bar Advisory Board was formed in 2009 by then Chief Judge Zurzolo. The Board is comprised of 12 volunteer attorneys who meet with the Chief Judge quarterly to discuss issues of mutual concern, and has been an invaluable avenue for soliciting ideas to improve services provided by the Court.

On June 20, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll conducted the Bar Advisory Board’s first meeting with its newest slate of board members. The Board provided feedback on the Court’s website redesign project and drafted a mission statement for the Bar Advisory Board. The establishment of an IT Committee and an update to the Court’s Strategic Plan were also discussed.

Court Raises over $41,000 for Charities through Combined Federal Campaign

Court employees donated over $41,000 through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) in 2011, the year of the campaign’s 50th anniversary. CFC is a national workplace charity program in which federal, civilian, postal, and military employees can donate to participating nonprofit organizations of their choice. Through CFC, federal employees contribute millions of dollars each year to non-profit organizations, making CFC the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. Since 1961, federal employees have raised over $6 billion to support charities in the United States and around the world.

Pro Se Clinic Opens in Riverside

On Thursday, December 1, the Court celebrated the opening of the Joint Federal Pro Se Clinic in the George E. Brown, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Riverside. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Judges Catherine E. Bauer, Maureen A. Tighe, Scott C. Clarkson, and Wayne Johnson attended the grand opening ceremony. Also present were Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell, Office Services Manager Roland Blanco, and Project Specialist Robin Beacham. During the ceremony, District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll, and Judges Bauer and Tighe all expressed enthusiasm for the clinic’s work and relief that the clinic had become a reality.

The Pro Se Clinic, which opened to the public on November 3, provides assistance to people who are representing themselves. A non-profit organization, the Public Service Law Corporation (PSLC), administers the clinic, giving free legal aid and advice to qualifying self-represented parties. The Attorney Admissions Fund Board for the Central District gave PSLC the funds to help equip and staff the clinic with one part-time staff attorney and an intake secretary. Located in space provided by the Bankruptcy Court in the Riverside Division’s intake area, the clinic is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

With the opening of the Pro Se Clinic in Riverside, all five divisions in the Central District now have onsite legal aid clinics for self-represented debtors.

Self-Help Desk

Public Counsel, the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Debtor Assistance Project co-sponsor the Los Angeles Division’s Self-Help Desk. Located on the first floor of the Federal Building at 300 North Los Angeles Street, the Self-Help Desk is open on Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to provide debtors and creditors with information and other resources related to chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy. The Self-Help Desk also refers debtors to volunteer attorneys and provides a chapter 7 self-help clinic for qualifying individuals. In 2011, Public Counsel’s Self-Help Desk assisted 4,376 self-represented parties.

Pro Se Pathfinder

The Central District is one of three bankruptcy courts in the nation involved in testing a new e-file module for self-represented (pro se) debtors. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ Pro Se Pathfinder Project is developing a web-based application to allow self-represented debtors to prepare and submit a bankruptcy petition electronically. The e-file module is scheduled for testing by bankruptcy courts in the Districts of New Jersey, New Mexico, and the Central District of California before it is made available to the public in 2012.

Self-represented debtors are a growing segment of the population served by the Court, and the Central District continues to lead the nation in pro se filings. The Pathfinder Project will allow debtors to prepare and submit voluntary chapter 7 and chapter 13 petition packages electronically, using the Pathfinder’s web-based application.

Pro Se Resources Coordination Project Underway

Under the direction of Judge Maureen A. Tighe, the Court launched the Pro Se Resources Coordination Project in July. A committee of Clerk’s Office staff meets regularly with Judge Tighe to develop resources and materials to help expand pro bono services to self-represented parties throughout the district. It is coordinated with the Administrative Office’s Pro Se Pathfinder Project.

Legal Community Training and Programs

Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll Participates in “State of the Circuit/District” Bar Meeting

On March 10, the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association hosted the “State of the Circuit/District” luncheon at the Kyoto Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The annual event featured Chief Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, Chief District Judge Audrey B. Collins, and Chief Bankruptcy Judge Peter H. Carroll.

Approximately 200 judges, attorneys, and law clerks attended the event, moderated by Federal Bar Association President Mary Carter Andrues. During the luncheon, each of the three chief judges discussed the current state of his or her court, filing statistics, newly appointed judges, and court programs. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll also promoted the Central District’s Twitter account as the Court’s newest method of disseminating information to the public.

Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll Speaks at 25th Annual CCBA Institute

On September 23, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll spoke at the 25th Annual Central California Bankruptcy Association (CCBA) Institute in Fresno, California. Sponsored by the CCBA and the San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno, the CCBA Institute is a two-day conference designed for attorneys, accountants, lenders, consultants, and others who deal with individuals and businesses under financial stress.

Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll joined Bankruptcy Judges Roger L. Efremsky and William Lafferty of the Northern District of California, Oakland Division in the panel discussion “Lienstripping Moot Court: Delayed LAM Roasting and Other ‘Hot’ Topics.” The three panelists sat as a fictitious bankruptcy appellate panel and heard oral arguments from two attorneys. Over 100 people attended the presentation, which organizers described as “very popular” based on attendees’ evaluations.

CDCBAA Hosts “Meet the Clerk” Program

Members of the Clerk's Office and chambers staff participated in the "Meet the Clerk" program hosted by the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association (CDCBAA) on Saturday, October 15. Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell made a presentation on the "State of the Court," and the staff delivered information and tips regarding document processing in the Court and use of CM/ECF. Participants included Courtroom Deputy Tina Johnson, Team Leaders Sharon Sampson and Lorraine Bolden, and Law Clerks Jeffrey Cozad, Donna Curtis, and Kate Vo. The program format enabled those in the audience to ask questions of the presenters.

Loyola IV Receivership Law and Practice 2011 Symposium

On January 22, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll spoke at the Loyola IV Receivership Law and Practice 2011 Symposium, presented by the California Receivers Forum in conjunction with Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll, who was joined by Hon. Thomas C. Holman, United States Bankruptcy Judge from the Eastern District of California, David A. Gill, Esq., Richard A. Lapping, Esq., and Anne E. Wells, Associate Professor at Loyola Law School, addressed the issue of “Receivership or Bankruptcy (Benefits and Detriments).”

Nineteenth Annual Bankruptcy Battleground West Conference

On March 4, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Judges Barry Russell, Erithe A. Smith, Sheri Bluebond, Richard M. Neiter, and Catherine E. Bauer participated as speakers at the 19th Annual Bankruptcy Battleground West Conference in Los Angeles, California. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll joined Gary Klausner, Esq., Marc A. Levinson, Esq., Michael B. Hammond, Charles Sakai, and Mark S. Cohen, Esq. on a panel discussing the financial crisis facing municipalities and key issues in chapter 9 bankruptcies. Judge Smith participated in a panel discussion with Peter W. Lianides, Esq., Ricardo Chance, David W. Levene, Esq., and Michael P. Murphy, Esq. about legal developments in the area of chapter 11 plan confirmation. Judges Russell, Bluebond, Neiter, and Bauer formed a judicial panel for the conference’s concluding event, a debate between attorneys Cynthia M. Cohen and Richard M. Pachulski.

Judges Speak at NABT Spring Seminar

On March 25 and 26, Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Judges Sheri Bluebond, Maureen A. Tighe, Theodor C. Albert, Robert Kwan, Catherine E. Bauer, and Scott C. Clarkson spoke at the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABT) Spring Seminar at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, California. Judges Bluebond, Albert, Kwan, Bauer, and Clarkson each participated in panel discussions on legal and procedural issues of interest to trustees. Chief Judge Carroll and Judges Bluebond and Tighe joined Bankruptcy Judges Margaret McGarity and Barry Schermer for “Here Come the Judges: A View from the Bench.”

Twenty-third Annual Insolvency Conference

Eight of the Central District’s bankruptcy judges spoke at the California Bankruptcy Forum’s 23rd Annual Insolvency Conference, held in Squaw Valley, California. On May 20, Judge Barry Russell spoke in a panel discussion about intellectual property rights in bankruptcy, and Judge Theodor C. Albert was one of two judges who took part in a moot court argument about section 503(b)(3) administrative claims. On May 21, Judge Sheri Bluebond hosted the conference’s “Forum Feud” competition, in which the panel of judges included Judges Erithe A. Smith, Scott C. Clarkson, and Sandra R. Klein. Later that day, Judge Catherine E. Bauer spoke in a panel discussion about common obstacles to chapter 7 and 13 filings.

Judge Tighe Participates in “White Collar Crime & Business Bankruptcy” Conference

On November 4, Judge Maureen A. Tighe participated in Golden Gate University’s “White Collar Crime & Business Bankruptcy: A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue.” The San Francisco conference, sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Business Law and Criminal Justice Sections, addressed “the complex challenges of dealing with entity assets[…] with respect to businesses subject to both governmental seizure proceedings and a bankruptcy case.” Judge Tighe moderated the panel discussion “Navigating Uncharted Waters: View from the Bridge,” which brought together judges from District Court and Bankruptcy Court to consider the complexities of cases that involve both bankruptcy and asset forfeiture.

Judges Saltzman and Clarkson Participate in “Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Basics” Panel

On November 15, Judge Deborah J. Saltzman and Judge Scott C. Clarkson participated in “Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Basics,” presented by the Inland Empire Bankruptcy Forum at the Mission Inn in Riverside. The program addressed first day motions, motions for use of cash collateral, and issues presented by individual chapter 11 cases.

Judges Bauer and Clarkson Participate in Eighth Annual Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium

On December 9, Judges Catherine E. Bauer and Scott C. Clarkson spoke at the Eighth Annual Bankruptcy Ethics Symposium in the U.S. Trustee 341(a) meeting room in downtown Los Angeles. At the yearly symposium, held by the Bankruptcy Section and the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, judges, attorneys, and academics gather to discuss ethical issues that arise in bankruptcy cases. Judges Bauer and Clarkson presented the talk “Attorney Ethics in the Courtroom: A Judicial Perspective.” The judges’ presentation advised attorneys on standards of conduct in the courtroom and on appropriate and inappropriate behavior in interactions with the judge and opposing counsel.

Judge Bluebond Participates in “Bankruptcy in Family Law” Panel

On April 13, Judge Sheri Bluebond took part in the panel discussion “Bankruptcy in Family Law” at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Judge Bluebond joined Assistant U.S. Trustee Jill Sturtevant and attorney Howard Ehrenberg for a discussion of the interaction between bankruptcy and family law proceedings. The panel was part of the Administrative Office of California Courts’ Family Law Institute, a program for the state’s family law judges.

Judge Bluebond Moderates Panel at Journalist Law School

On June 16, Judge Sheri Bluebond moderated a panel discussion at Loyola Law School’s annual Journalist Law School. “The Courts’ Perspective: A Panel Discussion with the California State-Federal Judicial Council” addressed interactions between courts and the media, and provided an opportunity for journalists to discuss reporting with state and federal judges. The panelists were District Judge Dale Fischer, California Court of Appeals Judge Nora Manella, and Superior Court Judge Brian Walsh.

Judge Bluebond Teaches Judicial Education Seminar

On October 31, Judge Sheri Bluebond participated in the Los Angeles Superior Court’s series of Judicial Education Seminars at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. She and Superior Court Judge Maren E. Nelson presented “Bankruptcy Basics,” covering the automatic stay, discharge, and “what every bench officer should know about bankruptcy.” The seminar was webcast for those who were unable to attend in person.

Judges’ Night Dinner Held in Costa Mesa

On March 1, the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum (OCBF) hosted the Judges’ Night dinner and panel discussion “True ‘Writ’ or Best Practices before our Bankruptcy Courts” at the Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa. Judges from throughout the Central District of California attended the event, along with 150 members of the legal community.

Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Judges Erithe A. Smith, Theodor C. Albert, Robert Kwan, Catherine E. Bauer, Deborah J. Saltzman, Mark S. Wallace, Scott C. Clarkson, and Wayne Johnson spoke on a variety of topics including brief writing, ex parte communications, orders, LOU, fee application preferences, and judicial preferences. Attendees were provided written materials with the judges’ court procedures, and the judges answered a wide array of pre-submitted questions. Attendees gave the event a ranking of five out of five on overall teaching effectiveness, effectiveness of teaching methods, and significant current intellectual and practical content.