From the Director Sep 2003

<h3>Giant New Directory Coming Soon</h3>

<p>The 2003-04 edition of the <i>ABI Membership Directory</i> will soon land on your desk. You'll know it when you see it! Nearly 1,000 pages strong, it's a powerful symbol of our membership growth to now more than 9,500 members.
The firm directory section, listing members in the law, accounting and turnaround firms where we have at least five
members, is now up to 310 firms nationwide. This "directory within a directory" is a must-have guide to the top
professionals in our world. The committee section and members by profession section are also at record numbers. In
part because of its size, this will be the last edition regularly published and distributed to all members in print
form. Next year, ABI will move to an electronic format in CD-rom and online versions that will be continuously
updated. As always, we thank West for its generous support of the <i>Directory</i> over the last several years, and for their
help as we transition to the new format. West plans to continue to print the <i>Directory</i> for those ABI members who
still desire this format via sales from West's publications catalogue.

</p><h3>New Grant Awarded to Study Serial Ch. 13 Filers</h3>

<p>ABI's Research Grant Committee has approved a grant of nearly $40,000 for an empirical study of serial
chapter 13 filers. The principal investigator is Dr. Jean Lown Ph.D., a professor of consumer science at Utah State
University. The project will determine the incidence of serial and repeat filers, the characteristics of these filers and
the factors that contribute to legitimate repeat filings by honest debtors, including factors that interfere with
successful completion of chapter 13 repayment plans. The project will analyze two sets of data to examine the
incidence of legitimate repeat filings and abusive serial filings: a data set of 400,000 chapter 13 cases from the
National Data Center and data from cases filed in Utah. Utah's bankruptcy judges, Hon. <b>Judith Boulden</b> and Hon.
Glenn Clark, are supporting the project. Utah has the highest per-capita consumer bankruptcy filing rate in the
nation, with nearly 40 percent of the cases filed in chapter 13. The ABI Endowment Fund has awarded more than
$285,000 in grant money for scholarly projects since 1998. For more information on the Fund, visit the endowment
page at ABI World.

</p><h3>Date Set for Duberstein Competition, 2004</h3>

<p>March 8, 2004, is the date for the final round of the 12th Annual Judge Conrad B. Duberstein National
Moot Court Competition. Law schools and bankruptcy teachers will receive the program brochure in September.
Last year, a record 30 teams from 25 schools competed, with the University of Miami earning the top prize. The
final night awards dinner will be held at the historic and elegant Regent Hotel on Wall Street. Last year's gala
attracted more than 600 practitioners, judges, academics and students from around the nation. The event is
cosponsored with St. John's University School of Law and is the nation's only moot court devoted to bankruptcy.
The final round will again be judged by the chief bankruptcy judges of the Southern and Eastern districts of New
York and leading federal appellate judges. The fact patterns and lower court decisions are conceived and prepared by
the LL.M. in bankruptcy students at St. John's, now under the direction of Prof. <b>G. Ray Warner.</b> Bar groups are
encouraged to sponsor teams from their states. For more information on this rewarding experience, please contact
me.

</p><h3>Coming Soon: Joint ABI/INSOL International Web Site</h3>

<p>GlobalINSOLvency.com is the address for the new website on cross-border insolvency, developed by the
ABI and INSOL. The new site, to be launched in late September in conjunction with the INSOL Americas
conference in Las Vegas, will feature daily insolvency news from around the globe, links to all member associations
of INSOL, legislative developments from around the world, cross-border protocols and conventions, publications
and more. An Advisory Board of prominent world practitioners will help supply fresh content, making the site the
first stop for all professionals interested in international insolvency. Special thanks are due to <b>Steven Golick</b> and
<b>Tracy Sandler</b> of Osler, Hoskins and Harcourt (Toronto) for their great help in conceptualizing and executing the
project.

</p><h3>Christopher Buckley Luncheon Keynote, Mexican Judges Education Program Highlight ABI Activities at NCBJ</h3>

<p>Best-selling satirist and Washington insider Christopher Buckley will be the featured speaker for the ABI luncheon
at this year's annual meeting of the NCBJ on Oct. 17. Over the past 15 years, Buckley, the son of author and
commentator William F., has established himself as America's funniest political satirist by writing one hilarious
novel after another. We will have signed copies of his latest book, titled <i>No Way to Treat a First Lady,</i> at the
event. Called "unspeakably and endlessly funny, unless you're a former president" by <i>Kirkus Reviews,</i> the novel's
main characters will strike you as more than a little bit familiar. The speech continues ABI's tradition of sponsoring
noted authors at this event, following talks in years past by Doris Kearns Goodwin and Scott Turow. Also that
week, ABI and the NCBJ International Law Committee will fund and host a parallel educational program for six
judges from Mexico. The judges will visit both the Los Angeles and San Diego bankruptcy courts and meet with
judges and other court personnel, including the U.S. Trustee. The purpose of the program is to gain a better
understanding of the respective bankruptcy systems and how to enforce judgments across borders. Organizing the
program on behalf of the ABI is <b>Josefina Fernandez McEvoy</b> (Los Angeles). Look for further details in next
month's issue.

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