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 Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  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.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• HAMP Mortgage Modification and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
• HAMP Notes

Beat The Press (Dean Baker, Center for Economic Policy Research)

• Money for Failed Modifications Goes to Banks, Not Homeowners

CreditSlips.org

• Redemption (of the 722 variety) for Struggling Homeowners
• Today’s Consumers Prefer Chapter 7 Bankruptcy 3 to 1

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Mortgage Crisis Update: Treasury Tinkers with Failed HAMP Program, Delinquencies and Foreclosures Stubbornly Refuse to Go Away
• Latest HAMP Report: Treasury Program a Failure

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.*** (more…)

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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 (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) 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

• 6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bankruptcy Lawyers of the Decade

Point of Law

• Group: Bankrupt Chemical Maker Owes another $9 Billion

WSJ Bankruptcy Beat

• Rothstein’s Business Partner Files For Chapter 7
• Denny Hecker Held Responsible For $400 Million
• Petters Sentenced To 50 Years Behind Bars
• Chapter 11 Can Be Fun, Hot
• Dykstra Strikes Out In Bid To End Bankruptcy Case
• Gemstone Shopping Channel Enters Chapter 11
• Arby’s Franchisee Serves Up Chapter 11 Filing
• The Daily Docket: Rock & Republic Files For Bankruptcy
• Harrisburg, PA, May Miss Debt Payment
• Maker of Collapsed Cowboys’ Dome Seeks Creditor Protection
• For Mortgage Industry, It’s Win Some, Lose Some

Above the Law

• Career Center: Practice Area Survey and Results

Credit Slips

• The Rhetoric of “Ending” Too Big To Fail
• Experian and FreeCreditReport.com Sink to a New Low
• The Congressional Research Service Says No Real Effect from BAPCPA
• Repo Madness
• The Business of Document Production
• March Bankruptcy Filings Are Up But Not “Spiking”
• The Fed as Distressed Investor
• The Need for More Bankruptcy Knowledge on the Circuit Courts
• Redemption (of the 722 variety) for Struggling Homeowners

Going Concern

• SEC Might Bring Civil Charges Against Ernst & Young Soon, Maybe
• After Constant Lehman/Ernst & Young Press Coverage, the PCAOB Is Ready to Get Serious About Audit Committee Communication

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Time for a plain old regular Bankruptcy Bill cartoon.  (FYI, I had to go back to October 22, 2009 (Fantasy Bankruptcy #2) to find the last time we posted an independent, non-sponsored, non-special edition Bankruptcy Bill cartoon.)

Click here to see Bankruptcy Bill’s attempt at online dating.

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*WE DO CUSTOMIZED CARTOONS… Click here for more info.*

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*To see more of Gideon Kendall’s work go to www.gideonkendall.com or http://www.gideonkendall.com/blog.  Or order yourself a copy of Dino Pets or (coming soon) Dino Pets 2, the wonderfully illustrated children’s books written by Lynn Plourde and illustrated by Bankruptcy Bill’s favorite illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

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 Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  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.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• LifeLock Fined for Inappropriate Identity Theft Protection Claims
• FTC: Identity Theft Top Complaint in 2009; Potential Data Breach
• Financial News This Week: More Consumer Protection
• Medical Records in Bankruptcy Court
• Is Texting ‘HAITI’ to 90999 A Scam?
• Bankruptcy More A Girl Thing

Bankruptcy Law Network

• Protect Your Privacy in Bankruptcy – Redact!
• Better Business Bureau and Identity Theft Prevention—Not Just An Agency to Call to Complain
• Beware of Fake Debt Collectors
• Online Pay Lenders: The Next Wave of Identity Theft?
• My Social Security Number Is Protected During Bankruptcy, Right?
• Identity Theft Involving Children’s Social Security Numbers

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.*** (more…)

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 Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is a Brooklyn-based attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  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.

GENERAL or NON-STATE SPECIFIC

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• A Closer Look at the Orleans Homebuilders Bankruptcy [via Delaware Bankruptcy Litigation]
• Hecker’s Troubles Signed, Unsealed, Delivered [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• Prosecutors Bring Bankruptcy Fraud Charges Against Hecker [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• Drama Continues for Death Row [via Bankruptcy Beat]
• The Daily Docket: Freedom Wins OK on Chapter 11 Plan [via Bankruptcy Beat]

ARIZONA

Brian Dault, Esq. (Dault & Associates PLLC) – Phoenix Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog (Chandler, AZ)

• College Football Star Files Bankruptcy, Surrenders Championship Ring

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.*** (more…)

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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 (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York (two months as of tomorrow!).  He speaks Japanese and focuses on comparative and international law, as well as international business.

Law Shucks

• Kaye Scholer Screws Up, Apologizes
• Cadwalader Trying to Prove Us Wrong

Credit Slips

• De-Tour: CSD Nudity on the Exotic Fringe
• Debt and the People, Part I: The Cold
• Avoid Chapter 11 at All Cost!!!
• Half-Empty or Half-Full: The February Bankruptcy Figures
• The Ban on “Universal Default”
• Half a (Rotten) Loaf is Worse Than None at All: The Fate of the CFPA
• Fringe Banking, Financial Distress, and the Consumer Financial Protection Industry

WSJ Bankruptcy Beat

• Hecker’s Troubles Signed, Unsealed, Delivered
• The Daily Docket: Examiner Finds Claims Against Lehman Execs
• Drama Continues for Death Row
• Experts: Sitcom Logic Won’t Work in Distressed Companies
• The Daily Docket: Freedom Wins OK on Chapter 11 Plan
• Lenny Dykstra Wants Bankruptcy Case Dismissed
• Justice Department stays out of Rubashkin Case
• The Daily Docket: Bankruptcy for Detroit?
• Miami Couple Accused of Running Ponzi Scheme
• The Daily Docket: Consumer Bankruptcy Filings on the Rise
• Trump Says Bankruptcy Is Not Part of His Brand

Going Concern

• Ernst & Young Was ‘Comfortable’ with Lehman’s Shady Accounting
• It’s Hard Out There for an Auditor

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 Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is an attorney licensed in Wisconsin and New York.  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.

(In reverse order!)

GENERAL

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Blog Exchange

• Shortcomings of Credit CARD Act
• New Consumer Credit Card Rules Take Effect
• Eighty Percent Interest on a Credit Card
• ¡MORE!

Bankruptcy Law Network

• How Will The New Credit Card Laws Affect Me?
• Will New Credit Card Rules Cause a Spike in Bankruptcy?

CreditSlips.org

• Reflections on Credit CARD Act Day

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• New Credit Card Law Effective Tomorrow (Monday, February 22)

WISCONSIN

Jamie Miller, Esq. (Miller & Miller, LLC) – Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorney Blog (Milwaukee, WI)

• Soon You Will Really Know What It Really Takes to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.*** (more…)

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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 (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) 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.

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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. (more…)

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 Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) is 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.

(We begin from the middle!…)

GENERAL

CreditSlips.org

• The Other Underwater Loans: Negative Equity in Auto Finance
• Calling All Article 9 Supernerds—Negative Equity and State Law

Consumer Law & Policy Blog

• Car Sales Plummet after Cash-for-Clunkers Program Ends

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)

• Eighth Circuit Allows Debtor to Claim Vehicle-Ownership Expense for Wholly-Owned Vehicle

NEVADA

Haines & Krieger (Las Vegas, NV)

• Five Warning Signs That You Are Headed for Bankruptcy
• Bankruptcy Myths

Black & LoBello Law Blog (Las Vegas, NV)

• Bankruptcy FAQ

***SEE MORE BLOG POSTS FROM BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS AROUND THE U.S.*** (more…)