Central District of California Bankruptcy Court Honors Pro Bono Volunteers

As a participant in the American Bar Association’s National Pro Bono Celebration, held the week of October 20, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California honored 307 pro bono attorneys, students, and paralegals who assisted self-represented parties in the district throughout the year.  An annual event, National Pro Bono Celebration Week is held during the third week of October and is promoted by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service.  Since 2011, the court has participated by publishing an Honor Roll listing the names of volunteers, which are submitted by the pro bono organizations that serve visitors to each of the court’s five divisions.  This year, the court’s Pro Se Committee added to this tradition by hosting its first Celebration of Pro Bono Volunteers, made possible by support from the Central District’s Attorney Admission Fund.

The celebration, organized by the court’s Pro Se Committee, included an afternoon reception at the Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on October 24.  During the event, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Peter H. Carroll spoke about the difference the volunteers make in the lives of those who can least afford access to the legal system.  Among those who attended the event to personally express their appreciation to the volunteers were Bankruptcy Judge Maureen A. Tighe, chair of the Pro Se Committee; Bankruptcy Judges Julia W. Brand, Catherine E. Bauer, Thomas B. Donovan, Sandra R. Klein, and Vincent P. Zurzolo; and Clerk of Court/Executive Officer Kathleen J. Campbell.  Copies of the 2012 Pro Se Annual Report were provided, along with Celebrate Pro Bono certificates for each of the volunteers. 

The Honor Roll is published on the Court’s website, as well as a letter from Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll acknowledging the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers and the positive impact they have on not only the parties themselves, but also the Court and the public.  Self-represented filings continue to comprise approximately one quarter of the Court’s total filings, even as the number of total filings decreases.  The assistance of pro bono volunteers streamlines these cases, which are often delayed due to the difficulty parties meet trying to complete their cases without attorney representation.  The benefits of pro bono assistance are far-reaching, because they allow the Court to operate with greater efficiency and enhance access to justice and service to the public.

'Power Lunch’ for Students in Los Angeles

 

 The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California packs a lot into a short amount of time with its "Federal Court Power Lunch," a 90-minute program that allows judges, attorneys and court staff to closely interact with a small group of students and teachers. The lunches take place in the Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles. The most recent event, held March 15, 2013, involved some 30 students from New Designs Charter School and equal number of judges and attorneys. Bankruptcy Judge Sandra Klein served as emcee and made introductions. Guest speakers were U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte, Jr., and Bankruptcy Judge Mark Houle. The program also included a session of a "Jeopardy" game dealing with legal subjects.

Los Angeles Police Department cadets also participated in a power lunch on October 5, 2012. That program focused on the roles and responsibilities of judges and attorneys, the conduct of trials, the Bill of Rights, and the three branches of government. Students also played the "Jeopardy" game.

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court Has Most Self-Filers

Judges and staff at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California are taking a hard look at ways to better serve people who file for bankruptcy without a lawyer while having little or no understanding of the process and procedures.  The court, which serves more than 18 million people in seven Southern California counties, reported 38,098 filings by self-represented debtors last fiscal year.  That’s 30 percent of the total of self-represented bankruptcy filers nationally, and more than all of the other bankruptcy courts in the western states combined.

Court statistics show that a self-represented debtor is almost eight times more likely to have his or her Chapter 7 case dismissed than a debtor represented by counsel.  The odds are even worse in Chapter 13 cases, which are often filed by homeowners seeking to avoid foreclosure.  A self-represented debtor has less than a 1-percent chance of successfully completing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

More information here.

###