Bench-Bar Liaison Committee

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California

July 9, 2012

Dear Fellow Northern California Bankruptcy Professionals:

The Bench-Bar Liaison Committee works with the Judges of our Bankruptcy Court to improve the quality of practice in our District.  We need your comments, constructive criticism and suggestions on the following topics, or any others:   

• What changes to local bankruptcy practice have you noticed in the last year or two? Have these changes been good or bad?

• Are there any local rules you would like changed, added or deleted?

• Procedurally, how are the stay relief local rules working? Substantively, are you seeing inconsistent stay relief rulings from our bench?

• How are our judges doing? Can any judge's individual procedures be improved?

• Can District or Division procedures be improved?

• Do new procedures, which keep Chapter 13 confirmation hearings off calendar until the Chapter 13 Trustee decides they are ready for confirmation, give too much power to the Chapter 13 Trustees?

• Any other feedback that might improve local practice?

Please feel free to contact any member of the Bench-Bar Liaison Committee to provide your comments.  Our contact information [1] is available on the court's website.  Please be candid.  Where appropriate, the Committee can keep your identity confidential.

We look forward to hearing from you.