Two Maryland Chapter 13 Trusteeships to be Consolidated - The U.S. Trustee has announced that he intends to appoint Nancy Grigsby to serve as successor trustee to Gerard R. Vetter in all of Mr. Vetter's open Chapter 13 cases. Mr. Vetter has been selected, pending final clearance, to serve as the next Assistant U.S. Trustee for the Greenbelt UST Office. It is anticipated that this consolidation will take place over the next several weeks.

Proposed Mandatory Continuing Legal Education for Maryland Attorneys - The Maryland Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education proposed new rules mandating continuing legal education in Maryland. Comments can be made to the Maryland Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education via phone to Lynne A. Battaglia, Commission Member, or her Assistant, Laura Glasgow, at (410) 260-1565, or Laura Glasgow’s email, at laura.glasgow@mdcourts.gov.

Low Bono and Deferred Payment Attorney Listing - Thanks to a wonderful collaboration between the USBC, BBA, MSBA, the MD Chapter 13 Trustees and MVLS, a new list of attorneys who are willing to accept low or deferred fee Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 cases with financial need is in the process of being created. The list will be maintained by the Bankruptcy Court and will be made available to individuals in need. For more information on this program and for instructions on how to get your name added to the list, please click here.

August 17, 2010

As the dog days of summer draw to a close, autumn rings in a new season not only for the Ravens and Redskins, but for the Bankruptcy Bar Association too.  Recent reports indicate that the economy continued to grow in the second quarter of 2010, but it slowed down from previous quarters and grew at a slower rate than economists expected.  According to the National Bankruptcy Research Center July 2010 report, after falling for three consecutive months, bankruptcy filings in July 2010 rose for the first time since March, to 139,000 (from 127,000 in June).  Nationally, the level of filings this year are 13% higher than during the first seven months of last year.  About 1 in every 125 households files bankruptcy.  Builders, developers, retailers and lenders also continue to struggle with the challenges of the current economic state.  Accordingly, it appears that the skilled services provided by our BBA members will remain in strong demand for the foreseeable future.  This is the time to sharpen your skills to help consumers and businesses navigate through the troubled waters, and the BBA can help you with the task.

Members can look forward to the annual "Kickoff Luncheon" and "State of the Court Address" scheduled for September 29, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore to mingle with fellow BBA members, and learn about filing trends, and changes to the law from the Judges and Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.  The Baltimore and Greenbelt Chapters are also planning their monthly meetings with the goal of enriching our membership through thoughtful and relevant presentations.  The BBA "Spring Break" will of course continue to be a "must attend" event.

So I encourage all BBA members to get involved in BBA meetings and BBA initiatives such as the Debtor Assistance Project (DAP).  I trust you will find the upcoming BBA events to be educational and enjoyable, and participation in the DAP, and other BBA backed projects, gratifying.

Sincerely,

Gary H. Leibowitz
President

For information on any of the above-listed events, please contact the appropriate Chapter Chair.

Baltimore Chapter Chair
Richard Costella

Greenbelt Chapter Chair
Gabrielle Duvall

Baltimore Asst. Chapter Chair
Lori Simpson

Greenbelt Asst. Chapter Chair
Tanya Kripetz