Good grief, I see that my last post was in December 2021. Since then there has been a lot of water under the bridge, or over the dam if you prefer. In early January 2022 I accepted a position as BAP Law Clerk to Judge Laura Taylor, then in San Diego, now retired. I quickly sold my practice to my partner Matt Resnik and began my new job on February 15, 2022. Since Judge Taylor’s term on the BAP was to end on December 31, 2022, I assumed and announced that I was taking a sabbatical for the remainder of the year expecting to return in early 2023. During that time, I became acquainted with Judge William Lafferty in Oakland, also a member of the BAP. Since his BAP clerk was retiring in April 2023, we agreed that I would become his BAP clerk on May 1, 2023. Nearing the end of 2023, I decided that a two year sabbatical was enough and advised Judge Lafferty that I wanted to return to civilian life and my consumer bankruptcy practice and he was graciously fine with that.
As a law clerk to a bankruptcy judge I was no longer free to opine on the great questions of the day as there was always some risk that someone would equate my opinions with the opinions of the judge I was working for so I stopped posting things on this list serve. I wrote only one article during that time, Demystifying Bankruptcy Appeals for the Los Angeles Times. It’s pretty good. I asked for Judge Taylor’s okay which was quickly given. She commented that the article was “breezy and very informative.” I was quite delighted with the comment.
The experience was a once in a lifetime deal. Most lawyers who clerk for judges do so early in their career. I waited 42 years to get a clerking job. My appreciation for the efforts of the judges increased many fold. I will speak more about it as things come up.
In the meantime, I have forgotten how WordPress works so please forgive my writing gaffs. I’m looking forward to rejoining the internet voices and hearing from you.