well as the full report of the College Policy Subcommittee.
Report and Recommendations Regarding the Nomination and Election of Judicial Fellows. At the Board’ s direction, the DEI Committee and College Policy Subcommittee undertook a comprehensive study of the nomination processes of the Judicial Nominating Committee(“ JNC”). The purpose of the study was to ensure that the nomination process is consistent with the College’ s objective of including qualified, diverse candidates.
The resulting report’ s conclusions and recommendations were:
• The JNC has been functioning effectively and in accordance with the College’ s DEI mission and policies;
• The College should collect demographic data on the diversity of Judicial Fellows by utilizing a voluntary self-identification survey;
• The bylaws should be amended to reduce the five-year requirement of judicial service to three years to broaden the pool of younger jurists eligible for election to the College;
• The bylaws should be amended to clarify that the JNC receives, reviews and acts on judicial nominations, but does not itself initiate or generate nominations. As written at the time of the DEI Committee’ s study, the bylaws appeared to mandate that the JNC initiate nominations( although, historically, that had not been its practice);
• The College should provide education and training to all Fellows regarding the judicial nominations process; and
• The JNC should actively encourage the nomination of qualified diverse judicial candidates.
The Board likewise adopted each of these recommendations at its most recent meeting in March.
DREAMS Programming. As described in detail in prior issues of College Columns, building off the momentum of the Discovering Restructuring Expertise and Mentorship Symposium( DREAMS) program that began in November 2023, the College, in collaboration with the ABI, presented its second annual full-day DREAMS program at Howard University School of Law(“ Howard Law”). The event was spearheaded and organized yet again by DEI External Subcommittee member Paula Beran, together with Lynn Tavener and Howard Law Professor Matthew Bruckner. Held on November 6, 2024, Howard DREAMS was again a resounding success. The program’ s presenters informed students from at least five different law schools about the rewards of careers in the insolvency field. They also provided scholarly analysis on cutting-edge and provocative bankruptcy issues, as well as a platform for frank discussion on ways our profession can better focus on mentorship and sponsorship. For many students, this event provided the first glimpse of the bankruptcy / insolvency profession.
On February 3, 2025, the DEI Committee hosted a more abbreviated DREAMS program( which the DEI Committee has internally called a“ DayDREAMS” event) at the University of Illinois Law School in Urbana-Champaign. This event was organized by External Subcommittee members Judge Deborah Thorne and Judge Kathy Surratt-States and likewise was a tremendous success.
As a natural outgrowth of these enormously well-received programs, the DEI Committee
continued
on page 19
13