Focus: Court Administration Committee
For this issue of the newsletter, we interviewed David D. Bird, Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, and co-chair of the Court Administration Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Miami Law School and obtained an MBA from the University of Miami School of Business. He is admitted to the Florida and Colorado Bars and has practiced law in both of those jurisdictions.
Mr. Bird has previously served as the U.S. Trustee for the Districts of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and as the Assistant U.S. Trustee for the Southern District of Florida. He has also served as the clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida and as a law clerk for one of the judges of that court. Mr. Bird also acts as ADR coordinator for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
In this interview, Mr. Bird told us about the committee's activities and gave some terrific advice about getting involved in the committee and how YNMC members can learn about the administration of the bankruptcy court.
Please tell me about the Court Administration Committee - what is its focus and what does it do over the course of the year?
The Court Administration Committee studies, analyzes and makes reports and recommendations on the means to improve and enhance the function and operations of the bankruptcy system. Its Web page on ABIWorld is http://committees.abiworld.org/courtadmin. The committee provides at least two topical presentations a year: one at the ABI's Spring Meeting and one at the Winter Leadership Conference. It also undertakes special projects and drafts white papers as determined by the committee leadership and feedback from its membership.
Who should want to join the Court Administration Committee and why?
I think that anyone who deals with the court should join so that they are more aware of how the court operates. They would have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on key issues facing the court and could recommend ways to improve the court's service.
What recent achievements and upcoming activities of the Court Administration Committee would you like to highlight?
The committee was successful in obtaining and posting for viewing an 11-minute video, recently broadcast on the Federal Judicial Center's Court-to-Court TV network, on Making Mediation Mandatory. Also, the committee, along with the ABI's Technology and Telecommunication Committee, is undertaking an effort to educate its members on the forthcoming next generation of bankruptcy electronic case filing in the bankruptcy court. It is anticipated that this effort will lead to significant input into what the new system will look like and what services it will provide. Lastly, the committee, through its listserv feature, wants to encourage more communication, discussion and assistance to its members in dealing with the courts.
How can young and new members of ABI get involved with the Court Administration Committee?
First of all, they should join the committee's listserv to keep updated on its activities. Second, they can volunteer for leadership positions and special project working groups. Lastly, if they have an issue or suggestions they would like to have discussed or considered, they can circulate it to the listserv group.
What advice would you give to new practitioners about making the best of their interactions with the Office of the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court?
New practitioners should familiarize themselves not only with the court's local rules and procedures, but also with the court's Web site and how to navigate through the wealth of information on it. They should also sign up for training of CM/ECF, the electronic case filing system. It would also be beneficial to attend local bar functions and interact with the clerk of court and the judges on an informal basis. Finally, they should consider setting up an appointment with the clerk of court to introduce themselves and find out how the clerk's office functions and obtain the names and contact information of key personnel.