A survey some years ago showed that bankruptcy was one of the law school courses most often taught by adjuncts rather than full time teachers. This has several impacts on the teaching of bankruptcy law. Full time teachers often have contact with one another and may meet at AALS or other professional meetings but the adjuncts who teach bankruptcy may not have much interaction with other bankruptcy teachers.
Welcome to occasional guest blogger, David Lander, currently a professor of practice at Saint Louis University School of Law. In addition to his current and past academic postings, David has practiced consumer bankruptcy law with legal services organizations as well as business bankruptcy law at the Greensfelder Law Firm. Long-time readers will know that this mix of experience gives David a perspective that few others have.
Just as tax and estate planning lawyers are part of a network of helpers that includes accountants and financial planners, consumer debtor attorneys should ideally be part of a network of able and responsible helpers. Sadly, since prospective consumer debtors lack financial resources, the availability and quality of their non lawyer helpers is suspect. There is a network of credit counseling agencies but critics have long attacked the effectiveness and loyalty of their services.
Governor Cuomo has signed into law New York's version of the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act (UVTA). Does this mean I don't have to talk about the UFCA in my bankruptcy classes anymore?
It also means that both California and NY are on the UVTA, which may be the beginning of the end for the UFTA.
Debt, like the full moon, is known to make politicians act strangely. There have been some good examples over the last few weeks, most recently in Lebanon and Italy.
