*Do you have a good bankruptcy-related idea you want to write about, but it’s…

• too experimental for your professional practice blog? Try it out here.
• too niche for Above The Law? We want to read it.
• 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 already have Bankruptcy Bill, BAPCPA Man, bankruptcy haiku and bankruptcy music along with BLT (Bankruptcy Lawyer Topics) and Bankruptcy Billables.  But there’s so much more that can be done!

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.

Think of it as “America’s Got Talent“…….for the bankruptcy world.

*Questions?  Ideas? Email Bill [at] BankruptcyBill.us to discuss.

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.

Here’s the article link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60R18Q20100128?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563

Watch this space for details on the next event.

]]> http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/28/turnaround-underground-article-on-reuters/feed/ 0 http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/26/bankruptcy-bill-pagerank-5/ http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/26/bankruptcy-bill-pagerank-5/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:33:41 +0000 BankruptcyBill http://bankruptcybill.us/?p=2949 I just checked the PageRank for Bankruptcy Bill and apparently we moved up from a PageRank 4 to a PageRank 5 website.  Yippity doo!

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 exponentially more 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.

]]> http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/26/bankruptcy-bill-pagerank-5/feed/ 0 http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/25/overruled-super-lawyer-by-joseph-aronds-esq/ http://bankruptcybill.us/2010/01/25/overruled-super-lawyer-by-joseph-aronds-esq/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:02:30 +0000 BankruptcyBill http://bankruptcybill.us/?p=2926 Bankruptcy Bill was recently introduced to another lawyer with an affinity for cartoons: 

Joseph Aronds, Esq., Assistant Vice President at Hartz Mountain, has been writing a cartoon called Overruled! for the past two years for the New Jersey Association of Corporate Counsel’s monthly publication ACC Focus on the New Jersey Chapter. Joe was also recently appointed Vice President of Communications for NJCCA, which ran a nice profile of him here.

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 Billables is 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 Leichter is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

Law Shucks

• CEO Blames Lawyers for Company’s Bankruptcy

WSJ Bankruptcy Beat

• Maine Sends Hamstrung Negotiator to FairPoint Talks
• The Daily Docket: Air America Signs Off
• If at First You Don’t Succeed, Open Your Wallet
• Tribune Gets Bonus Jitters as Payday Nears
• The Daily Docket: Bankruptcy for MGM?
• Ex-Football Star Facing Bankruptcy, Foreclosure
• The Daily Docket: W.R. Grace Seeks New Loan
• Bankruptcy Gets Starring Role on Bravo
• The Daily Docket: JAL Launches Restructuring
• Hecker Accused of Concealing Assets from Bankruptcy Court

Creditslips.org

• There May Be More Financially Distressed Small Business Owners Than You Think
• On Break Up Fees
• How Many Bankruptcy Appeals?
• Chapter 11 Costs — Help?
• Life Imitates Art (or at Least My Final Exam)
• Usury and Securitization
• A Special Bankruptcy Court
• Visa Does Not Issue Cards or Extend Credit.

Going Concern

• Who Wants to Buy Nic Cage’s Haunted House?

Above The Law

• Morning Docket: 01.14.10
• Bankruptcy Judge to the Rescue of Poor Old Lady/Law School Grad
• Job of the Week: Bankruptcy Baller

Did we miss a good recent bankruptcy-related post on another blog?  E-mail bill [at] bankruptcybill [dot] us to let us know.

***************

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.

3. Join a bar association. If you’re fortunate enough to practice law in an area that has a strong local bankruptcy bar, join it and get involved. You should also join at least one of these two groups: the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

4. Attend CLEs. Most states require CLEs, so fulfilling that requirement may not be particularly onerous. In states that do not require it, be aware that bankruptcy law is ever changing, ever evolving, and full of traps for those who could and should have known better. NACBA and ABI both offer great CLE opportunities.

5. Get to Court. Call the clerk and find out when “motion day”, “chapter 13 day”, or “confirmation hearing day” is. Sit in on a trial (yes, there are trials in bankruptcy court). Observe, listen and learn. And bring your copy of the code with you. Believe me; this will pay off in spades.

6. Remember this: bankruptcy court is not state court. Deadlines are real. Rules are to be followed. Orders are to be obeyed. Period.

7. Consider volunteering. Probably one of the best ways to learn some of the nuances of bankruptcy practice is to take a pro bono case. By and large, legal aid agencies that service the poor are unable to meet the high demand for bankruptcy attorneys. The cases do not typically involve complex legal issues and it is a good way to cut your teeth.

8. Get involved. Write bankruptcy related articles. Present at CLEs. Join committees. You will learn much interacting with colleagues and those learning experiences will expand when you are the one researching, writing and presenting. And that will make you a better bankruptcy attorney.

9. Keep perspective. If you think practicing consumer bankruptcy law is just completing forms, then you will find yourself at the wrong end of a malpractice complaint, a sanctions motion, or perhaps worse, an ethics violation charge. Think I am being a bit melodramatic? Think about this: In the last 12 months, I have personally participated in malpractice claims against two attorneys who bungled debtors’ cases because they did not take their responsibilities seriously. They thought it was just forms to complete for a fee. In both cases, the debtors almost lost their interests in the homes that they live in. Which brings me to this point:

10. Always remember this: what you do will affect peoples lives. Learn to do your job well. Respect your limitations. Know the law and the rules. Respect the law and the rules. And respect yourself.

This is a challenging economy and people are in need of real help from attorneys who have taken the time and made the commitment to want to help them. There are a lot of self-proclaimed consumer bankruptcy attorneys out there, but there are not nearly enough good ones.  The good ones lose sleep the night before hearings. The good ones care.  Americans in a debt crisis need good consumer bankruptcy attorneys:  professionals who are committed to helping them get the help they need.

If you’re truly up for it, you’ll find resources to help you help people navigate through this often tricky legal terrain during what history books might someday describe as the most difficult economic period our country has faced.