OUTREACH

  • On October 24, the Court held a celebration in honor of pro bono volunteers at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles. At the event, the Court recognized the service volunteers provide self-represented filers at each of the five divisions in the Central District.
  • Through the new online chat feature on the Court’s website, members of the public can ask procedural questions about bankruptcy in real time. Trained agents of the Court’s Call Center respond with direct links to Local Bankruptcy Rules, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and frequently requested forms.
  • The Court published its second annual report on the Central District’s pro se litigants. Access to Justice: Self-Represented Parties and the Court provides a comprehensive analysis of the district’s large self-represented population and takes an in-depth look at the Court’s joint efforts with public service partners to assist pro se filers.
  • The Court was selected from a competitive applicant pool to host a UCLA Ann C. Rosenfield Fellow during the 2013-2014 academic year. In June, Julie Pollock, a graduate student at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, began researching the increasing percentage of elderly bankruptcy filers.
  • In January, the Court’s Rules Committee established the Bar Rules Advisory Group (BRAG). The BRAG is comprised of attorneys from throughout the Central District who advise the Rules Committee on changes to the Local Bankruptcy Rules.