Discharge/Dischargeability

This session will focus on pending legislation that may affect your practice, and on ABI’s latest recommendations regarding personal bankruptcies. What are the latest developments and strategies to address student loans? Is a legislative fix for the student loan crisis really in the works (H.R. 2366)? What would the small business bankruptcy bill do, and where does it stand? Will veterans' benefits become exempt from means testing? The session will also cover other notable legislative actions, as well as the key takeaways from the Final Report of the ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy.

The panelists will discuss the findings of the ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy, focusing on three areas of great interest to the Commission: (1) student loans; (2) how attorneys get paid; and (3) a “reserve fund” for chapter 13s so that debtors can save for unexpected emergency expenses.

Bankruptcy and student loans do not mix because of Brunner, but as outstanding student loan debt nationwide has risen to $1.5 trillion and climbing, there is a huge need for a solution to the student loan debt crisis. During this session, you will learn the different options student loan debtors have, and identify ways to be compensated for your services. Also, you will receive an inside look from a chapter 7 trustee on how to identify (and hopefully avoid) the pain that could come with a dreaded tuition clawback.

The practice of consumer bankruptcy law is an ever-changing landscape, with new issues arising every day! This panel will explore some of the most recent exciting and evolving decisions including discharge of student loans, the challenges when personal property is repossessed pre-petition, pawn loans and the automatic stay, and consumer class actions in bankruptcies.

Are you interested in hearing a succinct primer on bankruptcy law and some of the basic structures of this discipline? If so, this panel of bankruptcy professionals will deliver what you need and will whet your appetite to become a full-fledged bankruptcy practitioner. Overview - Bankruptcy in pictures: Types of Debt, Bankruptcy Terminology, Relief from Stay, Trustees, Discharge of Debts. 101: The Parties, The Code Organization, Goals, The Estate, Automatic Stay, Discharge. How A Case is Administered: Commencement, Protecting Your Judgment form discharge, 2004 Examination, Litigating in Bankruptcy Court: Matters at issue, Procedural Considerations, Authorities, and Adversary Proceedings. Hon. Jeffery P. Hopkins Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Southern District of OH, Cincinnati David Mawhinney Associate, K & L Gates, Boston Prof. Laura Napoli Coordes Associate Professor, AZ State University School of Law, Phoenix, AZ

Repayment of student loans is a serious problem for many individuals. This session will focus on both nonbankruptcy and bankruptcy ways of dealing with student loans. What nonbankruptcy options exist to deal with student loans? What are income-based repayment programs, and do they work? What other nonbankruptcy creative strategies can be employed? What does it take to discharge a student loan under § 523(a)(8)? Is the Brunner test the only option? What other legal standards may apply? What are the options in chapter 13? Do student loan claims count for purposes of eligibility debt limits? Can student loans be separately classified and paid differently than other unsecured claims? Should a chapter 13 debtor file a § 523 complaint and, if so, when? What are some possible legislative solutions to student loan problems?

This panel will discuss current litigation/case law on discharge injunction violations and remedies, including sanctions.

This panel will address various discharge and dischargeability issues such as standing, imputation of knowledge and limitations on reopening cases.