All posts in Specialist Information

Update on Bankruptcy Specialization Class

By | July 1, 2012 | Specialist Information | 1 Comment

Thank you for your interest in the Bankruptcy Specialization Class.  The next (second) class is scheduled for 12pm on Friday, July 20, at noon. in the basement of Roquemore Pringle & Moore, 6055 E. Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90040.

The books that are recommended are as follows:

(1) Blum, Brian A. – Bankruptcy and Debtor/Creditor Examples and Explanations 5th Edition (ISBN 978-0-7355-8851-6); [Class Textbook] [available on Amazon.com for $29.97.]

(2) EZ Rules for the Bankruptcy Code (ISBN 978-0-7355-7197-6) [Bankruptcy Code translated into Layperson English];

(3) Martin, Nathalie – The Glannon Guide to Bankruptcy (ISBN 978-0-7355-0728-9); [Problem Sets]

(4) AWHFY, L.P. – Annotated Mini Code Mini Rules Western Edition (ISSN 1553-264X) [9th Circuit Caselaw]; and

(5) Markell, Bruce A. – Questions & Answers: Bankruptcy (ISBN 978-0-8205-5673-4) [Problem Sets]

Dennis McGoldrick and Wes Avery

Nancy Dockery Staff Attorney Passes Specialist Exam

By | April 25, 2012 | Chapter 13, Firm Announcements, Specialist Information | No comments

Congratulations to our Staff Attorney Angela Gill who has passed the bankruptcy specialist exam with the California State Bar.

Aki Koyama

Shinbrot’s Five Rules of Litigation

By | March 8, 2012 | Programs, Specialist Information | No comments

We had a great cdcbaa meeting on Saturday.  Jeff Shinbrot and Judge Mitchell Goldberg (Ret.) discussed dischargeability litigation.  Jeff regaled us with his five rules of litigation.

  1. Keep your judge happy.  File your motions timely, show up to hearings on time, solve your discovery disputes without court intervention, be professional, open minded.  Judge Goldberg commented that a better way of saying rule 1 is “Keep your judge neutral.”
  2. Develop a good story.  Trials, he said, are about telling a story.  Make sure you have your story straight, and present it at trial.  Judge Goldberg commented that it would be nice if the lawyers understand the rules of evidence and use the rules to tell the story.
  3. Know the local rules and the local, local rules.  Look up your judge’s page on the bankruptcy court website.  Ask around about the judges preferences.  Follow the local rules specifically made for trials, like lodging depo transcripts, timely pre-trial orders, the judge’s trial rules.
  4. Learn and follow FRCP 26.  This is huge.  Rule 26 requires disclosure throughout the process without a request by the other side.  It requires continuing disclosure and will result in striking your evidence if you have not followed rule 26.
  5. Have a good trial notebook.  Your trial notebook will include the entire trial.  It will remind you of what you need to do.  All the witnesses, all the exhibits, checklists, legal briefs, opening and closing statements.  In a trial, he said, you are caught up in the moment, you are focusing on the witness in front of you and the judges comments at the time.  A trial notebook will help you remember to ask the court to “admit” the exhibits for example.

Legal Specialist Exam Results Coming on February 28, 2012

By | February 12, 2012 | Community, Current Events, Specialist Information | No comments

Results letters for the Specialists Exams are scheduled to be mailed on February 28, 2012 via First Class U.S. Mail.  A notice will be posted on the Calbar website when results letters have been mailed.  Results letters will be mailed to the address applicants provided when registering, or to an updated address that was provided directly to the legal specialization department.  No results will be given over the phone, e-mail or fax.  No public list of examinees or results will be posted at any time.

The next exam is October, 2013.  We have started working on the exam.    The rules for becoming a certified specialist are here.  There are only 110 or so certified bankruptcy specialists in California.  A complete list is here.

Bankruptcy Specialist Class

By | January 20, 2012 | Current Events, Programs, Specialist Information | No comments
Wes Avery and I want to know who has interest in another 2 year specialist class.

If you are interested, please email me off list.  easky1@yahoo.com

The classes meet once a month, usually at the basement of Rockmore Pringle & Moore, the classes are just over one hour each.  We do one part of bankruptcy practice a month, reviewing a chapter per month of the Brian Blum book, “Bankruptcy and Debtor/Creditor.”  By the time you are done, you should be ready to take the bankruptcy specialist test.

For those of you who do not know us, we are both certified speicalists and this is the third time we are considering offering the course.

Thank you,

Dennis McGoldrick

Newer Entries →