NOTE: All Trainees must be APPROVED before registering for this training. Please find the application instructions below!

Bankruptcy Training for Pro Bono Attorneys: 2-Part Series
Thursday, May 10 & Monday, May 14, 2018 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (both sessions)
*The check-in desk will open at 8:30 a.m. for both sessions

For working people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, a prolonged illness or a layoff can mean financial disaster, despite the most careful budgeting. Seventy-five percent more personal bankruptcy petitions were filed in the District of Columbia in 2012 than 2006, a significant portion of which were filed pro se.

Two main types of relief are available to individual debtors under the federal Bankruptcy Code: (1) Chapter 7, where the debtor's nonexempt assets are sold to pay creditors while most of the debtor's debts are discharged; and (2) Chapter 13, where the debtor prepares a plan to pay off creditors. This course prepares attorney volunteers to provide much-needed legal representation to Chapter 7 debtors through the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Bankruptcy Clinic.

The Bankruptcy training will cover:

- Client Interview Procedures
- Case Screening and Evaluation
- Pre-Bankruptcy Remedies
- Overview of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code
- Automatic Stay
- Completion of Schedules
- Exemptions
- Discharge Provisions
- Conflicts of Interest

Important Information: This training series is appropriate for attorneys and attorney/ paralegal teams (paralegals must attend with an attorney). No particular expertise is required to participate, but all volunteers must attend the entire training before participating in the Pro Bono Center's Bankruptcy Clinic. Volunteers from firms that represent major banks, credit card companies, and other common creditors should contact the Pro Bono Center for more information before registering for this training.

Training participants must agree to accept two pro bono referrals from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Bankruptcy Clinic within 12 months after completing the training. Attorneys must be admitted to practice before the highest court of any state and must be willing to file a certificate saying that the attorney is providing representation without compensation.

ALL TRAINEES MUST BE APPROVED BEFORE ATTENDING THE BANKRUPTCY TRAINING.

To apply to the Bankruptcy Clinic Training:
1) Federal government volunteers should also contact Nakia Matthews at nmatthews@dcbar.org before registering for pre-approval.
2) Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6CD6TN3 to complete the volunteer application AND
3) Email your resume with subject line "BANKRUPTCY APPLICATION" to BankruptcyClinic@dcbar.org by Monday, April 23rd
4) We will contact all applicants for a short phone interview.
5) If you are approved to attend the training, you will be notified via email by Tuesday, May 1st
6) You are NOT permitted to register for the training until you have been APPROVED.

This training series is presented by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Bankruptcy Clinic, the American College of Bankruptcy and the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation.

The training is co-sponsored by Catholic Charities Legal Network of the Archdiocese of Washington, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, and the D.C. Bar Antitrust & Consumer Law Section, Corporation, Finance & Securities Law Section, D.C. Affairs Section and Litigation Section.

Please note that malpractice insurance is provided by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center for cases referred through the Bankruptcy Clinic. Pro Bono Center trainings are not MCLE-accredited.

Coffee and refreshments will be provided by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. Participants are welcome to bring breakfast and/or lunch along with them to the training sessions.

Pro Bono Training Refund Policy: To cancel a registration and receive a refund for a pro bono training offered by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, please call or send an e-mail request at least seven (7) days prior to the training session to Kathy Lugo, Project Coordinator, 202-737-4700, ext. 3360. All cancellation and refund requests for pro bono trainings conducted by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center must be received seven (7) days before the training session date to receive a refund. Registration fees cannot be applied to future trainings.