You are here

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York Announces Junior Lawyers Workshops on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 and Thursday, June 9, 2022

Monday, April 25, 2022

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District
of New York Announces Junior Lawyers Workshops on:           

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 9, 2022 - 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York will conduct workshops for junior lawyers either in person or via the ZoomGov platform. The dates are in person on June 7, 2022, before Brooklyn Judge Elizabeth S. Stong, on June 9, 2022, in person before Central Islip Chief Judge Alan S. Trust; and on June 9, 2022 virtually before Brooklyn Judges Nancy Hershey Lord and Jil Mazer-Marino, and Central Islip Judges Alan S. Trust and Louis A. Scarcella. (Chief Judge Trust will have both in person and virtual arguments.)

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.

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 May 16, 2022. We ask that you register for only one (1) date and one (1) Judge.

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.

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.

If you receive an argument slot but must cancel your appearance, give at least 48 hours advance notice by sending an e-mail to [Rachel Blumenfeld] rblmnf@aol.com;   [Melanie Fitzgerald] MFitzgerald@lhmlawfirm.com; [Mickee Hennessy] mhennessy@westermanllp.com; and [Martin Bunin] mbunin@farrellfritz.com.

Use this link to register for one of the EDNY Bankruptcy Court workshops:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TZV8QFX.  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.