welcome!
This year marks the 30th annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. This digital commemoration celebrates this major milestone through reflections shared by some of the many distinguished lawyers and judges who have participated in the Competition and witnessed firsthand how it elevates the dynamic field of bankruptcy law.
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
This year we celebrate the 30th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. Founded by Professor Robert M. Zinman in 1993, the Competition is named in honor of Chief Bankruptcy Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, a 1941 St. John’s alumnus and an early Director of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). Affectionately known as “Connie,” Judge Duberstein was a consummate storyteller who regaled audiences at the annual competition Gala Awards Dinner with his insightful and humorous speeches. Judge Duberstein was a leader in the development of bankruptcy law, leaving a lengthy and successful career as a bankruptcy lawyer to join the bench in 1981, shortly after the new Bankruptcy Code of 1978 became effective.
At the time of his death in 2005, at the age of 90, he was one of the longest-serving bankruptcy judges in the U.S., presiding as the recalled Chief Judge of the Eastern District of New York. In 2009, at a ceremony coinciding with the Duberstein Competition, the Brooklyn Bankruptcy Courthouse was named after Judge Duberstein. Judge Duberstein was well known for his kindness to both the litigants and young attorneys appearing in his court. The Competition, with its focus on training young lawyers, is a fitting tribute to his lasting memory.
The first competition was held in 1993, with only eight schools competing. The competition grew over the following years. This year, 44 teams from schools around the nation participate in three days of mock oral arguments. The competition is now the largest single-site bankruptcy appellate moot court competition in the nation.
Each year, the competition problem focuses on two sophisticated cutting-edge issues of bankruptcy law. Past competitions addressed channeling injunctions in mass tort cases, state sovereign immunity, the constitutionality of the bankruptcy courts, and religious entity bankruptcies, to name just a few of the problem topics. This year’s problem has once again been drafted by St. John’s alumnus Paul Hage (Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss) and United States Bankruptcy Judge John Gregg (W.D. Mich.), and involves two hot bankruptcy topics that have divided the lower and appellate courts. They are: (i) whether a defendant is entitled to reduce its preference exposure under the subsequent new value defense by the value of goods sold when the debtor paid for such goods post-petition pursuant to section 503(b)(9), and (ii) whether a trustee must timely perform the obligations of a debtor under section 365(d)(3) by paying rent due prior to the rejection of a lease but allocable to the period after the effective date of rejection.
The Competition is a true collaboration between St. John’s Law and the ABI. St. John’s students run the competition as a joint project of the St. John’s Moot Court Honor Society and the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, which is published at St. John’s and edited by St. John’s students. Over the course of many months, the Moot Court and ABI Law Review students work on all aspects of the Competition, from the logistics to the substance. ABI Law Review students work with the Competition Problem drafters to brief relevant cases and prepare a bench memo and brief grader’s guide. Over the weekend of the competition, the students host the competitors and the judges, making sure everything runs smoothly. ABI provides financial and logistical support and hosts the Awards Gala, which is attended by over 400 students, judges and practitioners.
Each year students from all over the country spend months preparing for the Competition, first writing briefs and then preparing for oral argument. On Sunday afternoon, there is a difficult cut to the top sixteen teams. At the end of the day on Sunday, the field is cut to eight teams, and then the Competition switches to an elimination format. By the time the Competition is over, the top two teams have argued eight times! The ABI Endowment Fund helps fund the Competition and provides cash prizes to the winning teams, top brief writers and the top oralist.
The Competition is known for the high quality of the judges throughout all the rounds over the three days. Experienced members of the bankruptcy bar first donate their time by grading the teams’ briefs. They then give up part (or all) of their weekend to judge the preliminary and octo-final rounds of the competition on Saturday and Sunday. These professionals take the competition very seriously, returning to grade briefs and judge oral arguments year after year.
The advanced rounds, held on the final day of the competition, are judged by federal judges. The New York and New Jersey bankruptcy judges are joined by bankruptcy judges from around the country to judge the quarter-final and semi-final rounds of the competition. The final round is judged by a “Supreme Court” composed of leading jurists from the federal Court of Appeals, joined by two Chief Bankruptcy Judges. For the 30th Competition, we are honored to have Court of Appeals Judge Joseph F. Bianco (2nd Cir.), and Chief Bankruptcy Judges Hon. Alan S. Trust (E.D.N.Y.) and Hon. Cecelia G. Morris (S.D.N.Y.).
We want to say a special thank you to the financial sponsors of the competition and gala. Several of the sponsors have supported this event since inception. Without their contributions, this program could not be possible.
We look forward to many more years of hosting the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition.
Christine Lazaro, Professor of Clinical Legal Education, St. John's School of Law; Co-Director, Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition
Amy Quackenboss, Executive Director, The American Bankruptcy Institute; Co-Director, Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition
REMEMBERING HON. CONRAD B. DUBERSTEIN
“Y’all come up to Brooklyn, Ya’ Hear!”
Alan S. Trust, Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDNY
Shortly before his passing in 2005, the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal published a tribute to our beloved Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, written in his own words. (Vol. 22, pp. 5-12) I opened this reflection with how he closed that testimonial: “Y’all come up to Brooklyn, Ya’ Hear!”
Judge Duberstein’s love for the world of bankruptcy did not start when he became a bankruptcy judge in 1981 at the age of sixty-six or when he became a lawyer specializing in bankruptcy in 1942. His passion for this practice did not recede while he spent two years as a combat infantryman in Italy in World War II, for which he received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal.
For Judge Duberstein, financial problems found him at the age of 15, during the Great Depression. His father lost his business, so Connie had to quit school and go to work. One of his first jobs he was able to get was as an office helper for his uncle, who at that time was a nationally recognized bankruptcy lawyer who happened to be the first bankruptcy professor at St. John’s Law School.
Judge Duberstein built many special bonds during his 90 years walking humbly among but towering high above us. One he cherished deeply was his lifelong relationship with his alma mater, the St. John’s University School of Law. His love for insolvency practice and St John’s continued throughout his career. Thirty years ago, he became the guiding spirit of the moot court competition named in his honor. During these 30 years, our court has continued its abiding affiliation with the Duberstein moot court competition, under the leadership of two wonderful successor Chief Judges, Melanie Cyganowski and Carla Craig. We all beamed proudly on July 15, 2008 when President George W. Bush designated our Brooklyn home as the Conrad B. Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse, and again on March 16, 2009, when Chief Judge Craig presided at the naming ceremony. Thus, since 2009, we have proudly welcomed eager and well-prepared law students to participate in this wonderful event in the building named for Judge Duberstein.
Jointly sponsored with the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition has been widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent. It promotes and recognizes the finest oral and written advocacy on significant issues in bankruptcy practice. As importantly, it instills in the competitors an appreciation of insolvency issues that Judge Duberstein first discovered over 90 years ago. Those who were fortunate enough to know Connie have fondly kept him in their hearts. Our exceptional Court has proudly helped keep the memory of Judge Duberstein alive in the minds of current and future insolvency practitioners by hosting this event in the edifice which proudly shouts his name.
In this 30th anniversary year, it is my distinct honor as Chief Judge to proclaim once again, “Y’all come up to Brooklyn, Ya’ Hear!”
Coaching the SMU Duberstein team (2008 – 2020) was the most rewarding volunteer experience in my career. I had the privilege of coaching over fifty students, and less than five of them came to tryouts expressing bankruptcy law interest. Our Texas bar is now filled with former Duberstein students that would never have thought about a bankruptcy law practice without Duberstein. I recall discovering a competitor guest judging an SMU intramural criminal law competition. After multiple “You ARE Duberstein” pleads, she joined the team with skepticism. She later went on to win Best Oral Advocate back-to-back years.
I have also had the privilege to see careers and lives change before my eyes. I cannot count the times I witnessed a judge at a regional competition approach a student post-round offering a clerkship or associate position. A Southern District of New York judge asked a student to be his next judicial law clerk after judging him. This student—a two-time National Duberstein Champion—was far more talented than his grades demonstrated. The resume boost was invaluable. He is now practicing in the New York office of one of the most prestigious law firms in the country practicing restructuring.
I cannot express enough thanks and gratitude to the St. John’s and ABI staff and volunteers. The Duberstein competition is a well-oiled machine that requires countless hours of a multiple of people every year. The Duberstein competition changes lives, which would not be possible without the hard of hard work of these selfless volunteers.
My nostalgia for the Duberstein competition runs deep. Some of my fondest memories include: designating a team member to run from the bus to grab seats in the atrium, scurrying between rounds with other coach friends guessing team identities, pairing up against law school frenemies, the indescribable nausea as the top 16 teams are announced Sunday afternoon, standing in front of a bus for a late-running student, roaming the halls of the grand Eastern District Bankruptcy Court doing last minute practice moots, having epiphanies with students of anticipated questions minutes before a round’s commencement, watching my students argue in front of the country’s leading jurists, and of course, seeing students faces when their names are called out at the gala.
About 20 years ago I participated in the Honorable Conrad B. Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. I still remember the fact pattern and the complex legal issues we had to brief and argue. I also remember calming my nerves when the Honorable Arthur Gonzalez stepped out to judge a round. At that time, he was presiding over the Enron and WorldCom chapter 11 cases. But he still took time on a Saturday afternoon to judge my round.
I remember practicing countless hours with my partner and my moot court coaches. One of my Duberstein coaches was Jeff Bohm. In 2004, he was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge in the Southern District of Texas. He retired in 2019. I was honored to succeed him on the bench.
My team lost in the semi-finals. We were sad, but so thankful for the opportunity to compete. I argued before some of the best lawyers and judges in America. Everyone told me I had a future. As I reflect on that experience, the positive feedback was invaluable. You never know how much a kind word can impact someone’s life. I would have never imagined that 20 years later I would return to the Duberstein Competition to judge a round.
I regret never having the opportunity to talk with Judge Duberstein. I hope everyone takes some time to learn about him. He served our country in World War II. He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal. He then practiced bankruptcy law for over 30 years. Then he returned to public service as a bankruptcy judge. He served as Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of New York for over 20 years. I wish I could tell Judge Duberstein how much he and the competition named after him impacted my life and career. I am honored to participate in the 30th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition and to be a part of the Duberstein family.
The competition final rounds are always held at the Conrad B. Duberstein courtrooms. Chief Judge Duberstein “Connie” was a legend. His stories are the lore of bankruptcy history. Connie was dubbed “the unofficial Dean of the bankruptcy bar of the City of New York.” A title he cherished.
The judges of the Eastern and Southern District Bankruptcy courts have had the honor of serving as judges in “the Duberstein” competition. This year will mark my 10th year and last year as the SDNY chief judge presiding at the final round panel.
Talking with local colleagues and those from across the nation, we agree: the fact pattern is hard and the law murky. That being said: the contestants are prepared, well trained and smart.
After each round, when the judges are in conference, they unanimously express admiration for the competitors and wistfully wish anyone of them would practice in their courts.
The contestants work long and hard for the competition. School rivalries have blossomed–particularly within states. Often the winner has a marginally better performance. Judges also speculate about the schools represented. It is a known fact; accents do not telegraph the school but the students’ home base.
The competition is important for the judges as well as the contestants. Judges, too, take their roles seriously. The problems are hard and highlight issues of unsettled law. It is exciting to see two of the student competitors are back as judges, Chris Lopez (SDTX) and Elizabeth Gunn (DC).
There is an important social aspect to the Duberstein. Each year the judges enjoy a luncheon before the semi and final rounds. Newly appointed judges meet seasoned judges. Everyone discusses current trends in filings and bankruptcy law.
Often the judges from the earlier rounds will come to the final round. The final round competitors comingle with the judges and are allowed to announce their law schools. Judges meet, not only the advocates, but their backup teams.
Connections and reconnections are made at the evening event where the winners are announced. Lawyers from some of the finest law firms, judges and the students co-mingle. Cards (and v-cards) are exchanged. Judges hope one of the participants will apply for an open law clerk position. Law firms are seeking associates. Students are looking for their first steppingstone in their career.
All in all, the Duberstein Competition is a fun, intellectual challenge for all the participants.
I was lucky to tumble into the bankruptcy field as a career.
In the mid-1980s when I graduated from law school, legal jobs were hard to come by. The state court appellate judge who hired me as a law clerk, Judge John Rees, grudgingly admitted he had never imagined hiring a woman and had only reluctantly hired me. I convinced him with my hard work and diligence in crafting bench memos and draft opinions that he had not made a mistake. Judge Rees later confessed he was glad he had taken a chance on me at a time when not many judges hired female law clerks.
When that clerkship term ended, I applied for a clerkship with a bankruptcy judge, Judge James Pusateri. At the time, there was no Duberstein competition. In fact, my law school had not even offered any bankruptcy courses. I told Judge Pusateri at the interview that I knew nothing about bankruptcy. He said, “Cynthia, if you know about bankruptcy, you can fake the opinion-writing part. If you know how to write an opinion, you can fake the bankruptcy part. You just can’t fake both.”
Judge Pusateri hired me, and I immediately fell in love with bankruptcy law. Were it not for the mentorship and training he bestowed upon me, I would likely not be a bankruptcy judge today. I am thankful to have had a rewarding career as a bankruptcy lawyer, now capped off by my dream job of becoming a bankruptcy judge.
That is why the Duberstein competition is so important to me. Not every law student is lucky enough to find a Judge Rees—someone willing to give a nontraditional candidate a chance—or a mentor like Judge Pusateri. So many lawyers I have known were introduced to the bankruptcy and insolvency field by participating in the Duberstein competition as law students. A few lucky of those will go on, like me, to have the high honor of becoming a bankruptcy judge.
The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges has recognized through the work of its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee that supporting the Duberstein competition furthers not only the goal of inspiring law students to consider bankruptcy and insolvency careers, but also of encouraging diverse and nontraditional students to consider the field as well. That support comes in the form of a new program the DEI committee has launched this year of offering assistance, judging, and even coaching to all Duberstein teams. We think encouraging more bankruptcy judges to volunteer and letting law schools know of judges’ willingness to assist can only improve the otherwise stellar quality and diversity of the Duberstein competition.
I wish all the teams the best of luck in this year’s competition, and I look forward to seeing you appear as bankruptcy lawyers in my court soon!
I cannot believe the Duberstein Competition has been in existence for 30 years now. My first experience with Duberstein was coaching the University of Miami team in 2000. I traveled with the Duberstein team to New York and was overwhelmed by the excitement, commitment, and quality of the competition and the students competing. What became a labor of love for me began then. I have been coaching the University of Miami teams and attending the Duberstein competition and the annual gala each year thereafter. My teams have won, they have not advanced, but all in all, the experience has been an incredible one. The students who I have coached, have gone on to be prominent bankruptcy practitioners, prominent litigators and extraordinary lawyers in all respects.
One student who I coached in 2001 later joined the FBI in its Counter Terrorism Division. When he spoke to the joint security agencies in the United States, he credited the Duberstein competition for helping him have the skills and technique to present to a large and challenging crowd fearlessly.
In addition, I have watched students both from the University of Miami and other schools progress and grow as advocates for the competition. One student began practicing having to take medicine for nausea before she could argue in front of people. That student overcame her fears and successfully competed in the Duberstein Competition advancing to the semi-finals. There are thousands of stories like this that can be attributed to Duberstein and the experiences students gain. The level of the competition keeps getting better and better and better.
In the beginning days, my team decided that they would meet the challenge of arguing without notes. This was originally implemented because one member of our team was blind and the other team members said that if that team member could argue without notes, then they could as well. We learned over the years that leaving notes behind made the competitors more conversational and more effective advocates.
In addition, the competition has brought together the insolvency community and in the New York Bench and Bar. The start, of course, was Judge Duberstein who would always warmly welcome the students and made them laugh. The gala is widely attended, not only by the participants in Duberstein, but by the New York law firms and many firms across the country. I remember as ABI president, reading the results of the competition at the gala to a full room at Chelsea Pier. It does not get much better than that.
I have had nothing but good things to say about Duberstein. It has been an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to participate and be part of the Duberstein family. In addition, speaking of Duberstein family, the teams that have competed for the University of Miami come back and help the students who are competing in any given year. We have created a sort of family of Duberstein competitors who not only appreciate the help they are given, but pay it forward after they graduate and become lawyers.
So thank you Duberstein for 30 years of amazing competitions!
DESTINEY PARKER-THOMPSON, ESQ
JUDICIAL LAW CLERK U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTS, DDEL
"In addition to sparking my interest in bankruptcy law, my participation in the Duberstein competition also led directly to my current job as a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware."
The Duberstein competition literally changed my life. When the director of my law school’s advocacy program told me that my final competition was going to be a bankruptcy moot court competition, I was terrified. I knew nothing about bankruptcy and had never even taken a bankruptcy class. But even knowing this, he assured me that he had faith in my ability to represent Campbell at the highest level and that my coaches (Pam Wachter-McAfee, Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Margaret Westbrook, Partner and U.S. Practice Group Coordinator at K&L Gates) would be there every step of the way to ensure that I was prepared. He was right. My partner, Brittany Levine, and I won the Fourth Circuit Regional Competition. I was also named the Top Oralist. We then went on to nationals, and while we did not advance, I was elated when I heard my name called as the Best Advocate at the National Competition in New York.
I’ve competed in several moot court competitions across the country, and the Duberstein is by far the best. The competition judges are champions in the bankruptcy profession, including several of the nation’s leading bankruptcy judges and come from diverse professional backgrounds. The issues are interesting and real. The questions presented are invariably rich and challenge students to engage complex, sophisticated issues in bankruptcy law.
In addition to sparking my interest in bankruptcy law, my participation in the Duberstein competition also led directly to my current job as a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. After I competed in the regional competition sponsored by the American College of Bankruptcy in Washington, D.C., one of the organizers of that regional competition approached me. He told me that I was “very impressive” and that it was a pleasure to watch me at the podium. I saw him again in New York and despite not really knowing him, we engaged in a very substantive conversation over the circuit split regarding a debtor in possession’s ability to assume an executory contract involving intellectual property. This person was Craig Goldblatt, then a bankruptcy practitioner who later became a bankruptcy judge in Delaware. Post-competition, we remained in touch. And after his appointment, he reached out to encourage me to apply for a law clerk position with his chambers. I was later extended an offer and am currently a judicial law clerk for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
All of this to say, the Duberstein Moot Court Competition gives law students access to some of the bankruptcy profession’s most prominent minds, and I owe my current job to having participated in the competition. So please do count me as one of the many young lawyers for whom this competition sparked an interest in bankruptcy law and opened the door to wonderful professional connections and opportunities.
I was Executive Research Editor on ABI Law Review my 3L year at St. John’s University School of Law. Anyone who holds that position knows the key responsibility: overseeing the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. I served as a staff member on ABI Law Review during 2L. It was then that I was inspired by the Executive Research Editor who preceded me in her ability to manage the competition so swiftly with ease. I instantly knew I wanted to undertake that role next.
As I reflect on the time I spent heavily engaged in the competition, I recognize much of what I learned and experienced have served as the foundational skills that paved the path to where I am today.
I was privileged with the opportunity to assist with competition materials, including various components of the bench memo. I collaborated closely with one of St. John’s most recognized professors in the bankruptcy profession along with highly regarded practitioners and bankruptcy judge.
Throughout the preparation process, I learned a lot in terms of what it means to be responsible for an event so monumental. Realizing the efficiency of this nationally known preeminent competition was partially riding on my efforts was a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I embraced the importance collaborating with others and being more organized than I had ever been before.
I had to step outside my comfort zone by delegating tasks to others. I had to trust that process and learn not to fear delegation but rather view it as an opportunity to further collaborative skills: preparing for and running this competition is a team effort. That notion sticks with me to this day.
The actual day of the competition taught me you can never be overly prepared. It reinforced a sense of value in being proactive and unconditionally involved in commitments. Those two important factors allow you to prepare for the unexpected. The morning of the competition, we were, indeed, met with the unexpected: a flood in our primary room for check-in competitors and judges, and where participants refuel with food and drink, wait around in between rounds, and debrief with teammates. Neither months nor weeks of preparation could have prepared us for that. Luckily, having spent countless hours organizing for the competition, and with the assistance of highly supportive board and staff members, the transition to get the competition running was seamless. The competition then proceeded on without skipping a beat.
The opportunity I had to play such a significant role in coordinating the 26th Annual competition was invaluable. It was empowering to feel responsible for something so distinguishable. My role allowed me to embrace leadership skills in new ways. It was a lesson of learning to coordinate with many different people and sporadically fit pieces of a puzzle together. This was an opportunity I feel beyond grateful to have had; one of the most memorable, if not the most memorable, experiences throughout my time at St. John’s.
FRANK VAZQUEZ, ESQ
SENIOR COUNSEL, NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT
"In addition to that intangible benefit, the students and our practice have received tangible benefits from the competition. Numerous former St. John’s students, including myself, clerked for a judge that they met at “Duberstein.” Other students have received job offers from an ABI member that attended Duberstein."
In 1992, a small group of St. John’s Law students, with the guidance of Professor Robert M. Zinman, persuaded the American Bankruptcy Institute and St. John’s University School of Law to sponsor a moot court competition in honor of Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, a St. John’s alumnus and former ABI Director. Without that group of motivated students, there would not be an annual Duberstein Moot Court Competition. Indeed, it is also unlikely that St. John’s and/or the ABI would have adopted certain academic initiatives, including the ABI Law Review and the Bankruptcy LL.M Program, absent the persistence of these law students.
Over the past thirty years, it has been the persistence of other students of St. John’s, with the help of their faculty advisors, including Professors Ray Warner and Christine Lazaro, and the cooperation of the ABI that has resulted in what is now widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent moot court competitions. These students have made significant sacrifices over the years to ensure the success of the Duberstein competition. Understanding the importance of the competition to the ABI, the competitors, and the Law School and its alumni, St. John’s students have prioritized this competition over class work and personal obligations.
Over the past 20 plus years, I have observed students devote countless hours to hosting bankruptcy practitioners and judges at the different rounds and “running” hundreds of student competitors to and from the different mock courtrooms and elsewhere over a three-day competition. Last year’s competition was particularly difficult given that it was conducted remotely. However, it was a success in significant part because of the efforts of the St. John’s students. In short, the students are the backbone of this competition.
The competition has been exceedingly rewarding to the students. For example, the students have benefited by the practical experience of running a complicated three-day event, which entails, among other things, communicating and liaising with some of the most notable bankruptcy judges, professionals and professors. ABI members are frequently seen at the competition imparting their wisdom and advice to the younger generation of potential practitioners. In addition to that intangible benefit, the students and our practice have received tangible benefits from the competition. Numerous former St. John’s students, including myself, clerked for a judge that they met at “Duberstein.” Other students have received job offers from an ABI member that attended Duberstein.
Overall, the relationship between ABI and St. Johns and its students has been mutually rewarding these past 3 decades. As this 30th annual Duberstein comes to a close, I am hopeful that with the continued support of the ABI and St. John’s, the students will be able to host at least another 30 Dubersteins.
AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY INSTITUTE
The American Bankruptcy Institute is a multi-disciplinary, nonprofit research and educational organization devoted to issues relating to insolvency. With a membership of approximately 10,000 judges, academics, attorneys, accountants, credit managers, investment bankers, turn- around specialists and leaders in all fields affected by bankruptcy who are dedicated to the improvement of the administration of bankruptcy law and practice, it is the world’s largest insolvency organization.
In addition to the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, ABI publishes the monthly ABI Journal, sponsors educational programs throughout the country and internationally, and serves as a resource for congressional legislative initiatives. It works closely with Congress in supplying information and testimony in connection with proposed legislative changes. A wide variety of bankruptcy information can be found on ABI’s award- winning home page, www.abi.org, which also includes daily bankruptcy headlines, legislative news, bankruptcy statistics, opinions, and online versions of the Bankruptcy Code and Rules. Its membership directory reads like a “Who’s Who” of the insolvency community. ABI has annually awarded a $15,000 scholarship to a deserving student in the LL.M. in Bankruptcy program, and provides cash awards to the winning Duberstein teams.
ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL OF LAW
St. John’s Law opened in 1925 to help a diverse and talented student body learn fundamentals of the law, build practical skills, and uplift their communities. That founding mission remains strong today as students excel in the classroom, on journals, and in clinics, externships, and competitions. Graduates surpass New York’s bar passage and employment averages annually, and proudly join a worldwide network of 16,000+ alumni, including distinguished public servants, preeminent law firm and business leaders, and pioneering entrepreneurs.
St. John’s has the nation’s most extensive bankruptcy program — a program that includes an LL.M. program, the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, and the national bankruptcy mediation training program. St. John’s Law is also home to The ABI Bankruptcy Case Blog and the St. John’s Bankruptcy Research Library, which offer current research on bankruptcy’s most cutting-edge cases and issues.