The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York will conduct two virtual workshops for junior lawyers via ZoomGov platform on November 16, 2021 before Brooklyn judges, Elizabeth S. Stong, Nancy Hershey Lord, and Jil Mazer-Marino and December 1, 2021 before Central Islip Chief Judge Alan S. Trust and Judge Louis A. Scarcella. The workshops 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 chapter 11 cases pending before the Court. Generally, motions will be argued without opposition, but some opportunities to argue with opposition will be available. Please indicate when registering if you wish to argue with opposition.
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, will argue it and receive feedback from the Bankruptcy Judge and more experienced bankruptcy lawyers present who are members of the EDNY Chapter 11 Lawyers' Advisory Committee. Approximately ten minutes will be set aside for each participant to present argument and receive individual feedback. After the motions on the calendar have been argued, there will be time for questions and discussion.
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 lawyers in the workshop. The Bankruptcy Judges are volunteering their time to prepare for and preside at the workshop. Please register only if you are able to commit to participate. The deadline to register for either workshop is November 2, 2021. At this time, we ask that you register for only 1 of the 2 workshops.
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 may register for the workshop by following the link posted in the "News & Announcements" section of the Court's web site home page.
Participants will receive their assignments of the motion(s) they will argue at least one week before the workshop they have registered for. Participants will also be contacted before the workshop to answer any questions and confirm their appearances. If you must cancel your appearance, give at least 48 hours advance notice to the EDNY Chapter 11 Lawyers' Advisory Committee by sending an e-mail to mhennessy@westermanllp.com and 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 one of the EDNY Bankruptcy Court workshops: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YP7GZN5
The invitation details to join the workshop will be sent a day before the event.