Contact: John Hartgen
(703) 739-0800
color='#0000ff'>jhartgen@abiworld.org
SEVENTEENTH
ANNUAL DUBERSTEIN BANKRUPTCY MOOT COURT COMPETITION TO BE HELD MARCH
14-16 IN NEW YORK
size='3'>October 17, 2008, Alexandria, Va.
size='3'>— The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and St.
John’s University School of Law will co-sponsor the 17th Annual
Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition,
March 14-16, 2009, in New York. The competition promotes and recognizes
the finest oral written advocacy on a significant problem in bankruptcy
practice. The event, the nation’s only moot court competition
devoted entirely to bankruptcy, is named to honor the memory of Chief
Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, a St. John’s University alumnus and a
former member of the ABI Board of Directors. The competition’s
preliminary and octo-final rounds will be held on March 14-15, and
quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds held on March 16. The
preliminary and octo-final rounds will be held at the St. John’s
University School of Law, while the quarter-final, semi-final and final
rounds will be held at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York in Brooklyn. The courthouse will be officially
renamed to the “Conrad B. Duberstein U.S. Bankruptcy
Courthouse” during a special ceremony on Monday morning, March
16.
Judging the final round
will again be the chief judges of the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the
Eastern and Southern Districts of New York (Carla E. Craig and
Stuart M.
Bernstein) along with Federal Appeals Court
Judges R. Guy
Cole (Sixth Circuit), Hon.
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Michael J. Melloy
size='3'>(Eight Circuit) and
size='3'>Jerry E. Smith (Fifth Circuit). More
than 15 bankruptcy judges, including Nancy Alquist (D. Md),
Randolph Baxter
(N.D. Ohio),
size='3'>Michael Deasy (D. N.H.),
Wesley Steen
size='3'>(S.D. Texas),
size='3'>Laurel Isicoff (S.D. Fla.),
Pamela Hollis
size='3'>(N.D. Ill.),
size='3'>Joel Rosenthal (D. Mass.),
Margaret Dee
McGarity (E.D. Wis.),
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Robert Kressel
size='3'>(D. Minn), and
size='3'>Stephen Raslavich (E.D. Pa.) along
with several bankruptcy judges of the Second Circuit, will judge the
quarter-final and semi-final rounds.
Approximately 50
ABA-accredited law schools will participate in this year’s
competition. Awards will be presented to the winning team, as well as
for best written brief and best oral advocate.
size='3'> The awards banquet will be held at
the famous Pier 60, Chelsea Piers. The Mississippi
College School of Lawis the defending champion,
while past winners include Brooklyn Law School, Baylor University School
of Law, University of Connecticut Law School, Emory University School of
Law, University of Miami School of Law, University of Idaho College of
Law, William & Mary Law School, the University of Florida Law
School, the University of Alabama School of Law, Stetson University
College of Law and New York University School of Law.
The ABI Endowment Fund will
present awards of $5,000 to the first-place team, $3,000 to the
second-place team and $1,500 to the two third-place teams. Individual
awards of Best Oral Advocate and Best Brief will receive $1,000
each.
State and local
bankruptcy bar sections are encouraged to participate by sponsoring law
school teams. ABI members, and especially academic members, are
encouraged to help sponsor or coach a team. Hotel and travel
accommodations are at the school’s expense.
size='3'> The New York Marriott Financial
Center is the host hotel.
The registration deadline
for teams is November 24. Visit the competition website for more
information:
href='http://www.abiworld.org/moot09/index.htm'>
size='3'>http://www.abiworld.org/moot09/index.htm
size='3'>.
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ABI is the largest
multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and
education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to
provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy
issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 11,600 attorneys,
accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround
specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for
the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on
ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information,
visit
face='Times New Roman' color='#0000ff'
size='3'>http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>.