From the Director Mar 2002
<h3>Tenth Annual Duberstein Moot Court Competition Takes Shape</h3>
<p>Twenty-three teams from 19 law schools, including defending champion University of
Idaho, will be competing in the Tenth Annual Judge <b>Conrad B. Duberstein</b> National
Moot Court Competition, March 16-18 in New York City. The event is
cosponsored by ABI and St. John's University School of Law. Prominent schools this
year include the University of Texas at Austin, which is sending two teams of
students. Several winning schools from prior competitions, such as Stetson University,
Mississippi College, University of Alabama, William & Mary and the University of
Florida, are also sending teams this year. Final-round judges include Judge
Duberstein (E.D.N.Y.) and Chief Judge <b>Stuart M. Bernstein</b> (S.D.N.Y.),
as well as U.S. Court of Appeals Judges Jane R. Roth (3rd Cir.), R. Guy
Cole (6th Cir.) and Jerry E. Smith (5th Cir.).
</p><h3>Reclamation Manual Published</h3>
<p>ABI's <i>Manual on Trade Creditors' Rights of Reclamation and Stoppage of Delivery
of Goods</i> is available for purchase. Written by <b>Bruce S. Nathan</b> (Davidoff &
Malito; New York) and a task force of the Unsecured Trade Creditor Committee, this
70-page guide provides a full discussion of the requirements that must be satisfied
by trade creditors and vendors to obtain relief, either under bankruptcy law or the
U.C.C. The <i>Manual</i> begins with a description of the warning signs that trade
creditors should watch for before exercising their reclamation rights in a timely
manner. The statutory and procedural requirements are then discussed, together with a
treatment of the buyer's defenses to a reclamation claim. The <i>Manual</i> is just $7 for
members and can be ordered online at ABI World's Public Library
(<a href="/org/pubscatalogue.html" target="window2">www.abiworld.org/org/pubscatalogue.html</a>) or by calling our office. The <i>Manual</i> is
perfect to give to vendor clients to explain the process; discounts for bulk purchases
are available.
</p><h3>State Court Judges Education Programs Continue in Popularity</h3>
<p>ABI's long-running program to help educate state court trial judges on bankruptcy
issues will have a full slate in 2002. Five states (Ohio, Indiana, Utah,
Washington and Kansas) have already scheduled programs for the first half of the year.
The program, launched in 1992, is supported by a grant from the National
Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Endowment for Education. The Ohio Judicial College
program will be held April 9 in Columbus. Faculty include Chief Bankruptcy Judge
<b>William T. Bodoh</b> (N.D. Ohio), <b>Reginald W. Jackson</b> (Vorys Sater Seymour &
Pease; Columbus, Ohio) and <b>Chip Bowles</b> (Greenebaum Doll & McDonald;
Louisville, Ky.).
</p><h3>New Editors Named for <i>Journal,</i> Web Board</h3>
<p>ABI President <b>Richardo I. Kilpatrick</b> has named <b>Reginald W. Jackson</b> (Vorys,
Sater, Seymour & Pease; Columbus, Ohio) to serve as executive editor of the <i>ABI
Journal,</i> effective with this issue. Elected to the ABI Board of Directors last
April, Mr. Jackson also chairs the ABI Subcommittee on Environmental Claims and
serves on the Web Site Editorial Board, and has authored a number of articles and
book chapters on business bankruptcy topics. He succeeds <b>John D. Penn</b>, Vice
President-Publications, who continues to oversee all ABI print and electronic
publications. <b>Joseph S.U. Bodoff</b> (Bodoff & Associates; Boston) has been named
by President Kilpatrick to serve as executive editor of the Web Site Editorial Board.
A member of the ABI Board since 1994 and of the Executive Committee since
2000, Mr. Bodoff has chaired ABI's efforts to create <a href="http://www.bankruptcysales.com" target="window2">www.bankruptcysales.com</a>—the
joint effort with NABT to sell bankruptcy assets online. As executive editor, he
will oversee online publications such as "Cracking the Code" and online services such
as the topical discussion boards, among other areas.