The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York will conduct a workshop for junior lawyers either in person or via the ZoomGov platform. The motions may be argued in person before Central Islip Chief Judge Alan S.Trust; in person before Brooklyn Judge Elizabeth S. Stong; virtually before Judge Nancy Hershey Lord and Judge Louis A. Scarcella; and both virtually and in person before Brooklyn Judge Jil Mazer-Marino.
The workshop will provide junior lawyers, including first year associates who have taken the Bar exam, as well as more senior lawyers who have had limited or no courtroom experience, the opportunity to practice their courtroom skills by arguing actual motions that were filed in consumer and business cases previously pending before the Court. Motions may be argued with or without opposition. Please indicate when registering if you wish to argue with or without opposition or have no preference; whether you wish to argue a consumer or business motion; and whether you wish to appear virtually, or in-person in Brooklyn or Central Islip.
All motions will be on a teaching calendar called and argued in Court with an EDNY Bankruptcy Judge presiding. Participating lawyers will each be assigned a motion in advance. After argument, participants will receive feedback from the Bankruptcy Judge and more experienced bankruptcy lawyers who are members of the EDNY Chapter 11 Lawyers' Advisory Committee and/or the EDNY Consumer Lawyers Advisory Committee. Approximately ten minutes will be set aside for each participant to present argument and receive individual feedback. After all motions on the calendar have been argued, the Judges and attorneys will take questions if time permits.
The workshop will not be a competition or moot court exercise. It is designed to provide a “safe” environment for junior lawyers and more senior lawyers with limited or no courtroom experience the opportunity to practice argument and improve their courtroom skills.
The workshop is offered to help implement the policy adopted by the Court that, "where junior lawyers are familiar with the matter under consideration, but are not experienced in arguing before a court, they should be encouraged to participate." In these circumstances, "where it creates an opportunity for a junior lawyer to argue, this Court is amenable to permitting more than one lawyer to argue for a party." The policy is highlighted at the top of the Court's web site home page, https://www.nyeb.uscourts.gov/node/1659.
There will be a limited number of argument slots. The Bankruptcy Judges and advisory committee members are volunteering their time to prepare for and preside at the workshop. Please register only if you will commit to participate. The deadline to register is April 24, 2023.
You may register for the workshop by following the link posted in the "News & Announcements" section of the Court's website home page. Participants will receive their assignments of the motion(s) they will argue at least one week before the workshop for which they have registered. Participants will also be contacted before the workshop to answer any questions and confirm their appearances.
If you have questions prior to the workshop, or if you receive an argument slot but must cancel your appearance, give at least 48 hours advance notice, send an e-mail to either [Rachel Blumenfeld] rachel@blumenfeldbankruptcy.com; [Melanie Fitzgerald] MFitzgerald@lhmlawfirm.com; [Mickee Hennessy] mhennessy@westermanllp.com; or [Martin Bunin] mbunin@farrellfritz.com.
In addition to junior and less experienced lawyers, all members of the Bar are invited to register to attend the workshop as an observer by following the link posted in the "News & Announcements" section of the Court's home page.
Use this link to register for the EDNY Bankruptcy Court workshop: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KGML6N6. We use SurveyMonkey as a third-party application for registration.
If you are arguing virtually, the invitation details to join the workshop will be sent one (1) day before the event.