Introduction

• Jurisdiction: United States

Introduction

Practitioners become involved in bankruptcy law for many reasons. Some might have been encouraged to enter the practice by an experienced colleague, while others may find themselves thrust into the field when assigned insolvency cases by their firms. Still others may have been exposed to bankruptcy law during their law school years or through personal experiences.

Regardless of the circumstances that led them to pursue bankruptcy law, many practitioners find the field to be challenging, sometimes contradictory, and occasionally a bit baffling. Perhaps as much as any branch of law, bankruptcy possesses its own unique vocabulary and timetables, dictated by the Bankruptcy Code and the decisions that have been handed down by federal courts from across the United States, as well as its ultimate arbiter, the U.S. Supreme Court.

Keeping abreast of bankruptcy's mercurial developments can be daunting for even the most experienced practitioner, but it can be especially challenging for those who are new to the field. As part of its ongoing educational mission, the American Bankruptcy Institute has launched an informative...