Law Office Staff Breakout / Law Office Management: Tips, Tricks, Training,Recruitment,
Responsible Staff Utilization, and Open Forum
This is a moderated session focusing on law office staff. The session involves participant introductions,responsibilities, work flow, office best practices and Q&As regarding working in a bankruptcy law practice.
Presenter Information:
Lisa McNeil, Courtroom Manager
US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of WV
Leslie Gallian, Chief Clerk,
US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of WV
Judicial Lien Avoidance
Learn the correct method for avoiding a judicial lien in 11 U.S.C. § 522(f). The
course covers multiple other judicial lien avoidance topics such as statutory
liens, valuation, exemptions, amended statutory exemptions, the “fixing of alien”
on property, what happens when a debtor does not own real property, fractional
interests in real property, joint and several liability on a mortgage when the
judgment is in the name of one of the joint owners, when to bring the lien avoidance
action, and the effect of the discharge injunction on unattached liens.
Participants will complete a practical exercise.
Presenter Information:
James Voithofer, Career Law Clerk
US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District
Default & Default Judgment
With a focus on adversary proceedings, follow the process from the issuance of the summons, service, entry of default and the motion for default judgment. Learn how the clerk’s office reviews a case for entry of default, how the Soldiers and Sailor’s Civil Relief Act impacts default proceedings, who enters default judgment, how default judgements against the United States are handled, and what it means when a plaintiff is asked to prove entitlement to default judgment.
Presenter Information:
McKay Wyckoff, Career Law Clerk
US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District
Different Methods of Dealing with Student Loan Debt for Individuals
At about $1.5 trillion, student loan debt is the second highest consumer debt category
behind mortgages. There are over 44 million student loan borrowers and about
10% of those are more than 90 days delinquent. Learn how to best deal with student
loan debt both in and out of bankruptcy. Learn what student loans are dischargeable,
what happens in Chapter 7, and how to best treat student loans in Chapter 13.
Presenter Information:
Steve Thomas, Esquire
Kay, Casto & Chaney PLLC
Notice and Service in Bankruptcy Proceedings.
Learn about a bankruptcy case’s mailing list, preferred addresses, the Bankruptcy Noticing Center, noticing costs, and the difference between notice and service in bankruptcy proceedings. Learn when service may be effected electronically and when a filer has reason to know that an electronic transmission has failed.
Presenter Information:
Ryan Johnson, Clerk of Court
US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of WV
Formulating Chapter 13 Plans
The Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee leads a guided exercise on completing a Chapter
13 plan and answers questions from participants.
Presenter Information:
Helen Morris, Esquire
The Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee
Meagan Preece, Esquire
Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee Northern and Southern Districts of WV
Credit Reporting
Learn about the accuracy, preparation and correction of credit reports,access to credit reports and privacy, adverse actions based on credit reporting, disputes,the difference between the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other acts such as TILA, FDCPA, ECOA, and statutory remedies under the FCRA.
Presenter Information:
James Pietz, Esquire
Feinstein Doyle Payne & Kravec, PLLC
Elizabeth Hanes
Consumer Litigation Associates
Law Office Management & Ethics: When is it Legal Advice, Guidance for
Non-Attorneys Working in a Law Office.
All office staff know not to give legal advice to anyone. Find out what that
means in practice and how to determine whether a response constitutes legal
advice.
Presenter Information:
Lesley Hoops, Esquire
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, Southern District of WV
Legal Writing
The Hon. Frank Volk, Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia shares his insight on legal writing and provides participants some of the same training instruction that he provides to his law clerks.
Presenter Information:
Honorable Frank W. Volk, Chief Judge
US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of WV
Law and the Cinema: Pop Culture and the Practice of Law
Learn what the entertainment industry can teach or – or not teach us – about the
practice of law and common perceptions held by non-legal clients.
Presenter Information:
Honorable Patrick M. Flatley, Chief Judge
US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of WV
Chapter 7 Means Testing and Chapter 13 Disposable Income Test
Learn how the Office of the U.S. Trustee reviews means testing information in Chapter
7 cases. Learn how the Office of the Chapter 13 trustee makes disposable income
determination in Chapter 13 cases and how the Offices uses the information on
the Chapter 13 disposable income test form. The course includes a practical exercise.
Ask questions and get answers.
Presenter Information
U.S. Trustee’s Office, Chapter 13 Trustee’s Office