From the Director Oct 2003

<h3>Resident Scholars Named for 2004</h3>

Hon. <b>Roger M. Whelan</b> and Prof. <b>Edward J. Janger</b> have been named as the Robert M. Zinman ABI Resident Scholars for 2004. Judge Whelan, a former member of the ABI Board of
Directors and Executive Committee, served as a bankruptcy judge for the
District of Columbia from 1972-83. He has been an adjunct professor at Catholic
University of the American Law School in Washington, D.C., since 1975.

</p><p>A member of the first class
of inducted Fellows in the American College of Bankruptcy, Judge Whelan has
been in private practice since leaving the bench. His practice includes work as
a claims mediator on several large cases, including the <i>Loewen Group</i> bankruptcy. Judge Whelan is a graduate of Georgetown
University for both his undergraduate and law degrees. He will serve as the ABI
scholar for the spring term in 2004. Prof. Janger will be the fall 2004
scholar. He is a tenured professor at Brooklyn Law School, where he teaches
Business Reorganizations, Commercial Transactions and Creditors' Rights.
He joined the faculty in 1988 after teaching at the Washington University
School of Law in St. Louis and the Ohio State University College of Law. He was
formerly in practice at Wilmer, Cutler &amp; Pickering in Washington, D.C., specializing
in bankruptcy matters. He clerked for Judge Irving L. Goldberg on the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Prof. Janger's scholarly
publications have received critical acclaim while focusing on commercial law
viewed through the lens of public choice theory. He serves as chair of the AALS
Section on Commercial and Consumer Law. The Robert M. Zinman ABI Resident
Scholar is a paid position for academics who reside in ABI's offices for
an academic semester. Housing and travel stipends are provided, with financial
support coming from the ABI Endowment Fund. Those wishing to be considered for
the Resident Scholar post in 2005 should contact me.

</p><h3>New Educational Programs Developed for Government Agencies</h3>

<p>ABI is planning two programs
to assist federal agency counsel understand how bankruptcy law interacts with
other federal laws they are responsible for administering. Programs are planned
for both the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Agriculture
(USDA). Each will focus on basic bankruptcy fundamentals and the particulars of
laws administered by each agency, such as claims under the Black Lung Benefits
Act (DOL) and the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (USDA). The USDA
program is set for Nov. 19 in Washington, D.C. Staff attorneys in the Office of
the General Counsel and several regional offices will participate by video
conferencing.</p>

<h3>Health Care Teleseminar Focuses on HMO Insolvencies</h3>

<p>ABI and the American Health
Lawyers Association presented a teleseminar, "The Brave New World of HMO
Insolvency: New Issues and Trends," on Sept. 18. The seminar addressed
how to identify key issues in an HMO case, how to protect both plans and
providers and other issues regarding liability. Both for-profit and nonprofit
HMOs were covered during the 90-minute program. ABI speakers included <b>Samuel
Maizel,</b> co-chair of the Health Care
Committee (Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl, Young, Jones &amp; Weintraub PC; Los
Angeles) and <b>David Tatge</b> (Epstein Becker &amp; Green; Washington, D.C.).

</p><h3>New Editions of State Court Judges Manuals to Be Published</h3>

<p>ABI's popular program
to help educate state court judges on the basics of bankruptcy has received new
funding from the NCBJ Endowment. <i>Bankruptcy Issues for State Court Judges</i> is aimed at trial judges in general jurisdiction
courts. The new edition was prepared by ABI Resident Scholar <b>Marianne
Culhane.</b> <i>When Worlds Collide: Bankruptcy and its Impact on
Domestic Relations and Family Law</i> was prepared by Prof. (now Dean) <b>Peter Alexander</b>
(Southern Illinois University Law School) and Hon. <b>Judith Fitzgerald</b> (W.D. Pa).

</p><h3>ABI Welcomes New Staff</h3>

<p>Susan Druzak joined our
communications department staff in September as a desktop publishing
specialist. She has more than seven years of progressively responsible
experience in the graphic design field, most recently for First Virginia Banks.
Susan has designed award-winning calendars, animated web ads, pocket folders,
direct-mail pieces, posters, brochures, advertisements and newsletters. She has
extensive experience with project management and working with outside vendors
such as service bureaus and printers. Susan has lived all over the world in a
military family. She has a B.A. in graphic design from Marymount University in
Arlington, Va.

</p><p>Patricia
Sadusky also joined our staff this month as Senior Accounting Manager. After
receiving a B.S. in finance from George Mason University, Patty served in
several accounting and financial management positions for large trade and
professional associations. Prior to joining ABI, Patty was the accounting manager
for the Electronic Industries Alliance and senior accountant for the Society of
Human Resource Management, both in northern Virginia. She brings comprehensive,
hands-on experience in financial analysis, internal and external reporting and
monthly accounting activities. Patty will supervise a staff of two in the
accounting department and will report to Kathy Sheehan, ABI's Director of
Administration.

</p>