All posts in Specialist Information

Congratulations to Russ Stong

Resnik Hayes Moradi LLP long time associate Russ Stong has just been notified that he passed the California state bar Bankruptcy Specialist Exam!  Our congratulations to him.   That means four of the seven RHM attorneys are certified bankruptcy specialists (at least as soon as Russ can get the rest of the forms into the state bar).

Results from the October 2017 Legal Specialist Examination Being Mailed

I am informed that the results from the October 2017 Legal Specialist Examination are being sent via U.S. mail today, March 15, right on schedule.  The pass rate for the examination overall was 74.9% compared to 75% during the 2015 examination.

Examinees will receive their results only via U.S. mail.  Those who do not receive their letters may request duplicate results on or after April 1, 2018.  For examinees who passed the examination, post-examination applications are available now on the Forms page.  They will need to file the applications or a request for an extension within eighteen months (April 24, 2019).  Consistent with past practice, no pass list is posted, and those who failed but had a score close to the pass line had their results automatically reconsidered before results were sent.

Congratulations once again on the successful administration of the 2017 Legal Specialist Examination!

Welcoming David Goodrich to the State Bar Bankruptcy Specialist Commission

I’m at the state bar in San Francisco grading the essay questions from the Bankruptcy Specialists exam given a couple of weeks ago.  This is the first meeting attended by our newest commissioner, David Goodrich.   The commissioners are, besides myself (in my last year), Stella Havkin, Alan Vanderhof, Jim Selth, Cathy Moran, Dave Eldan, Phil Gillete, and Dave Goodrich.

Still Time to Sign up for the Bankruptcy Specialists Exam

October 2, 2017 is the final deadline to register for the Legal Specialist Examination.

The one-day examination will take place on Tuesday, October 24 in Pasadena and Oakland.

The examination is designed for applicants to prepare while they are still working full time.  Applicants can visit the specialty pages listed below to get a copy of the free preparation packets and assess their familiarity with the topics.

Free preparation packets are available on the State Bar’s website for Bankruptcy Law.
Sincerely,

The State Bar of California
Department of Legal Specialization

Sign up for the Legal Specialization Exam

The one-day State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization examination takes place on Tuesday, October 24, 2017.  The examination will not be offered again until 2019, so why wait to earn your board certification?

If you sign up before May 1, 2017, the fee is only $100.  If you wait it will be $650.

Attorneys can earn certification in the following areas: Admiralty and Maritime LawAppellate LawBankruptcy LawCriminal LawEstate Planning, Trust and Probate LawFamily LawFranchise and Distribution LawImmigration and Nationality LawLegal Malpractice LawTaxation Law and Workers’ Compensation Law.

The State Bar offers free preparation packets and information about the other certification requirements. For more information, see the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization website.

Bankruptcy Specialist Exam Coming Up in October 24, 2017

The California Legal Specialist Examination is a one-day examination that will take place on:

Date:    Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017

Location:  Northern California – Oakland Convention Center
Southern California – Pasadena Convention Center

Examination Fee:  Special pricing for registration will be offered this year. The examination registration fee is $100 if valid payment is received on or before May 1. The fee increases to $250 on May 2 and to $350 on Sept. 2. Registration deadline is Oct. 2. Read more…

MCLE for Bankruptcy Specialists

At the last state bar specialist commission meeting I inquired about the MCLE requirements for BK Specialists.  The hours of bankruptcy needed must be bankruptcy oriented but that doesn’t mean specifically designated as specialist approved.  The program must be bankruptcy specifically and not something that is general law that helps bankruptcy lawyers but only in general.  For example, a program on how to do depositions helps bk lawyers but would not count as bk specialist hours.

Results of Bankruptcy Specialist Exam to be Mailed Today

SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2016 — The State Bar of California’s California Board of Legal Specialization reported today that 75 percent of the examinees passed the October 2015 Legal Specialist Examination. If the 551 people who passed the October 2015 exam satisfy the other requirements for certification, they will be able to hold themselves out to the public as certified specialists.

Read more…

Thursday, December 17, 2015 – The Ins and Outs of Discovery in Bankruptcy

Thursday, December 17, 2015, 12 noon – 1 p.m.

The Ins and Outs of Discovery in Bankruptcy

Speakers:
Jonathan S. Dabbieri (Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engle)
Uzzi O. Raanan (Danning, Gill, Diamond & Kollitz LLP) Read more…

November 17, 2015 – Examining the Dischargeability of Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy Proceedings

Complimentary CLE-Accredited Webinar

Student loan debt is estimated to be more than $1 trillion nationwide, greater than all credit card debt of all Americans combined. Unlike credit card debt, student loan debt cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy without a showing of undue hardship. Prior to 1977, student loans could be discharged in the same way as credit card debt; however, concerns and fears over students abusing the bankruptcy system prompted Congress to add 11 U.S.C. Section 523(a)(8). Steven Werth, Associate with SulmeyerKupetz, Magdalena Bordeaux, Supervising Attorney of Public Counsel’s Debtor Assistance Project, will address:

The historical background of Section 523(a)(8) and how that statute has changed over the decades.

How courts now apply the test of undue hardship.
The differences among the circuits as to how undue hardship is determined, and potential arguments that can be made for interpreting undue hardship differently.

Date:
Tuesday
November 17, 2015

Time:
11:00 a.m. PT