too frivolous for the ABI Journal? We want to publish it.
too much career risk to write it publicly? We’ll let you use a pen name.
The Editorial Team at Bankruptcy Bill is looking for new writers and for writers with new ideas to add more flavor to the bankruptcy community and help build on existing bankruptcy culture. Humorous, serious, personal, analytical—whatever it may be, we’re interested.
*E-mail Bill [at] BankruptcyBill.us and tell us (or show us) your new idea.
We know there are plenty of other good ideas out there and we’re hoping to tap the braintrust that is the community of people connected to bankruptcy and see what we can come up with.
In an effort to use this site to help out the bankruptcy community, we’re starting a new feature:
Bankruptcy Bill’s Bankruptcy Job Listings!
That’s right. If you have a bankruptcy/restructuring-related job to post –big, small, corporate, consumer or anything in between– e-mail bill [at] bankruptcybill.us and we’ll post it on this site. For free!
Much of the bankruptcy community is already congregating on the site regularly, so we figured we might as well try to help out and share any relevant job listings. We also plan to do a good job filtering the job listings so if a job is posted here, it’s hopefully worth your while to take a look.
Questions? Job Listings? Just e-mail bill [at] bankruptcybill.us.
What does this mean exactly? We’re not entirely sure, but it sounds pretty good.
Then again, Abovethelaw.com comes up as PageRank 4 if you check their site. And they must get exponentiallymore traffic and visibility than Bankruptcy Bill.
If any readers have insights and perspectives to share on what this all means, any comments and discussion are welcome.
We asked Joe if he’d be interested in having his cartoons posted on the Bankruptcy Bill site as well and he said, “Sure!” We hope our readers enjoy the cartoons and would also like to extend special thanks to bankruptcy attorney Sharon Levine of Lowenstein Sandler PC for introducing us. You can get in touch with Joe at joseph.aronds [at] hartzmountain.com.
(Joe wishes to acknowledge Seth Wimpfheimer’s help with the coloring.)
Bankruptcy Billablesis an overview of bankruptcy-relevant coverage and discussion from various law-related blogs.
Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichteris an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York. He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.
Bill McLeod is a Boston-based bankruptcy attorney, representing creditors and debtors with over 15 years of experience. You can learn more about this and read more of his blog posts at www.mcleodlawoffices.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find him on Facebook.
In recent months, I’ve been hearing from and speaking with attorneys young and old who express a desire to practice consumer bankruptcy law. Only some express a desire to enter into a practice area that is evolving, intellectually fascinating, and in this economy extraordinarily relevant. Virtually (but not) all express their belief that this is one practice area that is expected to grow in the coming years. Some mention that as the only motivation to consider it. I guess they have mortgage payments too.
If you’re considering changing practice areas, adding practice areas, or entering the consumer bankruptcy arena as a newly minted attorney fresh off the bar exam lawyer, here’s my…
Top Ten Things You Need to Know Before You Become a Bankruptcy Lawyer
1.Own a copy of the bankruptcy code. If you do not have a copy of the bankruptcy code and you’re already practicing (or perhaps better said, think you’re practicing) bankruptcy law, you’re already doing a bad job. Actually, you’re flirting with a malpractice claim. I have two: one at the office, and one which is always in my brief case, and my brief case is almost always with me (except when I leave it home). In addition to owning it, you should read it.
2. Never forget the basics. Attorneys have rules. You cannot lie, nor can you help a client lie. You cannot steal, nor may you help a client steal. You cannot violate your oath. There is no “winking” in bankruptcy. Read the rest of this entry »
Came across this great video of comedian Tim Clue talking about debt, credit cards and bill collectors on the blog of Oklahoma bankruptcy lawyer Dan Nunley.
BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.
Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichteris an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York (he’s celebrating Day 2 of his New York license by providing you with more BLT). He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.
Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme? Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog. It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.
The voting results of Bankruptcy Bill’s Bankruptcy Song Contest are not yet complete, due primarily to baby-raising reasons. So in the mean time, we thought it might be entertaining and/or a good space filler to share the “Bankruptcy Song” from an episode of The Drew Carey Show where Drew holds a party to celebrate his filing for bankruptcy.
While the song doesn’t have a lot of actual bankruptcy information in it (like, say, “Bankruptcy Lover” by Bankruptcy Bill & The Fresh Starts), it is about bankruptcy and it was on a very popular mainstream sitcom. Hence we believe it merits inclusion in the liturgy of pop culture bankruptcy songs out there. (And yes, we realize it’s a rather small liturgy as liturgies tend to go.)
BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) is a periodic review and comparison of consumer bankruptcy topics being covered on bankruptcy lawyer blogs.
Holding a J.D. and an International Affairs M.A. from Marquette University, Matt Leichteris an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and very soon in New York (January 13, 2010!). He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.
Click on BK Lawyer Blogs for a state-by-state list of bankruptcy lawyers with their own blogs.
Have a blog or know a good blog post you think should be included? Or a suggestion for a future BLT theme? Send an e-mail to BLT [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us with the link.
Suggestion to bankruptcy lawyers with blogs: Make sure to include a “Search” function somewhere on your blog. It makes it easier to find topical posts on your blog and increases the likelihood that a post from your blog will be included in BLT.
I often talk with lawyers about their marketing strategies and client materials, and it occurred to me (amidst my new state of parenthood) that there’s a good parallel between effective parenting and effective client communications.
Lest you think I’m inclined to speak from my own one-week’s worth of parenting experience, I should mention that I have the benefit of wisdom and experience of my own mom, who is a social worker with a specialty in child therapy. She often likes to point out that everything children say and do can essentially be boiled down totwo questions they are perpetually asking:
1. “Do you love me?” and
2. “Who’s in charge here?”
I was recently contemplating this idea following a conversation with a bankruptcy lawyer who had asked me to review some of his client info materials. I realized he was falling into the classic lawyer trap of trying to explain too much, and I was trying to figure out a framework for helping him review his materials through a new lens. That’s when this idea popped into my head:
Potential bankruptcy clients are essentially asking two questions:
1. “What can I keep?” and
2. “Can I trust you?”
I therefore propose that bankruptcy lawyers should gear their pre-retention client communications to answering these two questions in various ways. Anything more detailed and in-depth can be discussed in person. But you need to respond to these two questions to get someone comfortable enough to retain you and avoid the pitfall of overwhelming them with legal information and jargon.
This is, of course, just my theory. So if you agree, disagree or have another take on bankruptcy clients and/or parenting theory, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
And if you want to discuss off-line or would like assistance with your own marketing materials, feel free to contact me at: steven [at] bankruptcybill.us.
Apologies to everyone whose blog was previously included here. We're having some technical problems with a bunch of the rss feeds (tricky little things) and the feeds weren't working for a number of blogs. Hence the removal of them from the sidebar for the time being. We're working on getting them up and running again.
What does this mean exactly? We’re not entirely sure, but it sounds pretty good.
Bill McLeod
