Our March Annual Meeting in Review
Richard Levin , Jenner & Block LLP Scholar-in-Residence
Innovation and diversity formed the core of the College ’ s educational programs this year . The program at the annual meeting in March covered business , consumer and international matters , as well as bankruptcy history and the College ’ s DEI initiatives . We continued to present speakers from all parts of the country and represented diverse groups of lawyers , judges and academics working in diverse areas of bankruptcy law and practice .
The programs began with the College ’ s DEI consultant Dr . Arin N . Reeves moderating a panel of former College Chair Mark D . Bloom ( Florida ), Michael St . Patrick Baxter ( Washington , D . C .), Jack Butler ( Illinois ), Jan Hayden ( Louisiana ), discussing the College ’ s different approach to DEI , focusing on awareness and thoughtfulness , to recruit a diverse membership . It was followed by a lighter-themed panel , moderated by American Bankruptcy Institute ’ s Editor at Large and author of Rochelle ’ s Daily Wire , Bill Rochelle , to discuss with some bankruptcy old-timers — Michael Cook ( New York ), Hon . Mary Grace Deihl ( Ret .) ( Georgia ), Susan Freeman ( Arizona ), and R . Patrick Vance ( Louisiana ) talking about what led them to become bankruptcy lawyers and the mentors that guided them to that path . This panel , which was sponsored by the College ’ s Senior Fellow ’ s Committee , was an outgrowth of the Committee ’ s project to
collect stories of fellows who started their practice before 1983 about how they found their way into bankruptcy practice . For more information about how to contribute your own story , contact the Committee ’ s Chair , Richard Carmody , at Richard . Carmody @ arlaw . com .
Saturday morning continued with three different kinds of panels , starting with Views from the Appellate Bench , designed to be of interest to both consumer and business practitioners . Three appellate judges spoke about how to strengthen your briefing and oral argument when you are before an appellate panel . They were Hon . Thomas L . Ambro ( 3d Cir . Delaware ), Hon . Michael J . Melloy ( 8th Cir . Iowa ), and Hon . Jeffery P . Hopkins ( S . D . Ohio ), a former bankruptcy judge recently appointed to the district court .
Next up was a program presented by the College ’ s International Committee , addressing Enforcement Of Foreign Judgments In Chapter 15 , From The Experts ’ Perspective . Committee Co-Chair Robbin L . Itkin ( California ) moderated a discussion with Hon . Martin L . Glenn ( New York ), Prof . Irit Mevorach ( England ), and Hon . Christopher S . Sontchi ( Singapore International Commercial Court , Delaware ) discussed what it takes to obtain enforcement in the U . S . of foreign judgments and orders in foreign insolvency proceedings .
Finally , Anna Hevia , counsel to former professor and College Fellow Senator Elizabeth Warren ( D . Mass .), presented A Fresh Start ? A Conversation with Senator Warren ’ s Staff on a Reimagining of Consumer
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