BankruptcyProf Blog

Congratulations to Two New Bankruptcy Judges

Catherine Bauer and Deborah Saltzman, both of whom will sit in Riverside, probably the first of next year.  The announcement can be accessed here.

Article on Los Angeles Bankruptcy Judge Geraldine Mund

Judge Mund is one of my favorite people.  The Daily News article can be accessed here. 

Judge Positions Open in Riverside California

An email from Judge Sheri Bluebond:

The Circuit Council just approved our request to fill the two vacant bankruptcy judgeships in Riverside.  Stay tuned for official notices and application procedures if you're interested.   

-Sheri Bluebond

New York Seeking Applications for New Bankruptcy Judge

The Second Circuit circular re applications for a new bankruptcy judge in New York can be accessed here. 

Judge Robert L. Krechevsky 1922-2008

Thanks to Bob Hiller,

First chief judge of the Connecticut Bankruptcy District court died earlier this month at age 86.  Article from the Connecticut Law Journal can be accessed here.

Ninth Circuit to Sit at McGeorge Law School

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hold oral arguments at McGeorge School of Law on October 29, 2008.  The announcement can be accessed here.  Kozinski, Thomas and Callahan will hear argument on two cases that morning including Video Software Deals v. Schwarzenegger, a case dealing with the distribution of violent vidoes. 

Judge Sandra Lynch to Head First Circuit Court of Appeals

Judge Lynch is the "first and only woman judge" on the 1st Circuit according to the announcement which may be accessed here. 

Judge Dennis Montali Takes Over as Chief Judge of the 9th Circuit BAP

The announcement can be accessed here.  Judge Christopher Klein has left the BAP after ten years as required under the local rules.  There are six judges on the 9th Circuit BAP.  A seventh position has remained open so that other judges may fill in as a pro tem and get the experience. 

Judge Eileen Hollowell of Tucson Appointed to 9th Circuit BAP

The announcement is here.  It doesn't say who she replaced. 

A Little Short on Judges in Riverside

PUBLIC NOTICE
RE: RIVERSIDE DIVISION CASES ASSIGNMENTS TO LOS ANGELES DIVISION JUDGES RIVERSIDE DIVISION COURTROOM CHANGES

Effective September 1, 2008, a portion of newly filed Riverside Division bankruptcy cases will be assigned to Judges Bluebond, Donovan and Neiter of the Los Angeles Division.

Most hearings on Riverside Division cases assigned to the Los Angeles judges will be held by video conference. Parties appearing before Judge Bluebond and Judge Donovan are to appear at Riverside Division Courtroom 303, and parties for hearings before Judge Neiter are to appear at Riverside Division Courtroom 301.

Papers filed on Riverside Division cases assigned to the Los Angeles Division judges shall be filed either electronically or, for non-registered ECF users, at the Intake area of the Riverside Division. Chambers and courtesy copies of papers filed for these cases shall be delivered to the Intake area of the Riverside Division.

Note:  Riverside has had four judges for a long time but two basically retired at the same time and no one has volunteered to move to Riverside. 

Judge Richard Mednick 1933-2008

Former Bankruptcy Judge Richard Mednick, Central District of California, died on February 5, 2008.  See the LA Times Obituary here.   

Alex Kozinski to Take Over as Chief Judge of 9th Circuit

On November 30, 2007, Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder of Phoenix, the first woman to lead the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, will turn over the chief stewardship to Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski of Pasadena. The gavel-passing ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. in San Francisco.  Judge Kozinski, 57, will become the 10th chief judge of the circuit.  As chief judge, he will serve as executive officer of both the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit, the governing body for federal courts in the west.  Judge Kozinski has served 22 years on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Read the 9th Circuit announcement here. 

Judge Erithe Smith Reappointed in Central District of California

Judge Erithe A. Smith who sits in Santa Ana has been reappointed to a second 14-year term on the Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. The reappointment is effective May 2, 2008. Judge Smith was first appointed to the court in 1994.  She also recently completed three years of service on the Ninth Circuit BAP.

Judge Smith graduated from my alma mater, Loyola Marymount in 1979, and received her J.D. in 1982 from Boalt Hall School of Law.  According to her biography, Judge Smith was a law clerk to Judge Marcus Kaufman of the California Courts of Appeal from 1982 to 1983, and to Judge Peter Elliott of the Central District bankruptcy court in Santa Ana from 1983 to 1985.  She practiced with McKittrick, Jackson, DeMarco & Peckenpaugh in Newport Beach from 1985 to 1987, and with Lobel Winthrop & Broker as an associate/partner from 1987 until her appointment to the bench.

According to the BAP website, the Central District of California is authorized 24 judges and received 17,802 bankruptcy filings in 2006.

Judicial Appointment and Reappointments - 9th Circuit

From the website of the Circuit Court of Appeals. Several judges have been formally reappointed for new 14 year terms. Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has announced the reappointments of five bankruptcy judges and the appointment of one new bankruptcy judge for federal bankruptcy courts in Arizona, California, Washington.

Eastern District of California Chief Bankruptcy Judge Michael S. McManus has been reappointed to a second 14-year term on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California. His reappointment is effective January 11, 2008. Judge McManus, 54, came onto the bankruptcy bench in 1994 and was elevated to chief bankruptcy judge in 2000. He has chambers in Sacramento. Judge McManus received his B.A. in criminology and psychology in 1975 from the University of California at Berkeley, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. in 1978 from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California is authorized seven judges and received 9,323 bankruptcy filings in 2006.

District of Arizona Bankruptcy Judges James M. Marlar and Charles G. Case have been reappointed to second 14-year terms on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. Judge Marlar, 62, who maintains chambers in Tucson, came onto the bankruptcy bench in 1993. His reappointment is effective December 29, 2007. Judge Case, 59, who has chambers in Phoenix, came onto the bankruptcy bench in 1994. His reappointment is effective January 5, 2008. In addition to his work in Arizona, Judge Marlar sat on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) from 1999 to 2006. Prior to becoming a bankruptcy judge, Judge Marlar practiced with private law firms for 20 years. Judge Marlar received his undergraduate degree in 1967 from Stanford University and his J.D. in 1970 from the University of Arizona Law School.

Judge Case received his B.A. in 1969 from Harvard University and his J.D. in 1975 from the Arizona State University College of Law, graduating magna cum laude. He served in the Peace Corps as a teacher for three years before beginning his legal career. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona is authorized seven judges and handled 7,793 bankruptcy filings in 2006.

Western District of Washington Chief Bankruptcy Judge Karen A. Overstreet has been reappointed to a second 14-year term on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington.  Appointed in 1994, Judge Overstreet, 52, was the first woman to serve on the federal bankruptcy bench in either of Washington's two judicial districts. Elevated to chief bankruptcy judge in 2005, she has chambers in Seattle. Judge Overstreet received her B.A. in 1977 from the University of Washington, graduating cum laude. She received her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1982, graduating Order of the Coif. Judge Overstreet currently serves on the Judicial Conference of the United States' Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System, and as chair of the Western District of Washington Local Rules Committee. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington is authorized five judges and received 8,448 bankruptcy filings in 2006.

Central District of California Bankruptcy Judge Thomas B. Donovan has been reappointed to a second 14-year term on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Judge Donovan, 71, came onto the bankruptcy bench in 1994 and has chambers in Los Angeles. Judge Donovan received his B.A. in 1957 from the University of California at Berkeley, and his J.D. in 1962 from the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, where he was associate editor of the California Law Review. Judge Donovan served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Security Agency, 1957-1959. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, one of the nation's largest bankruptcy courts, is authorized 24 judges and received 17,802 bankruptcy filings in 2006.

Southern District of California San Diego attorney Laura Taylor has been appointed to serve as a judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California. The appointment is contingent upon approval of background clearances. She will succeed Bankruptcy Judge John J. Hargrove, who is scheduled to retire January 4, 2008. Ms. Taylor, 49, is an administrative partner in the banking and finance practice group in the San Diego office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. She manages 32 lawyers, legal assistants and support personnel and also serves on the firm's recruiting and diversity committee. Ms. Taylor received her B.A. in English and political science in 1979, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her J.D. in 1983 from Duke University, where she served on the school's moot court board. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California is authorized four judges and handled 4,338 bankruptcy filings in 2006.