Bankruptcy proceedings require specialized knowledge that not all judges (or attorneys) possess. Accordingly, bankruptcy is an area ripe for federal–state cooperation and education. One avenue for cooperation is through joint educational activities. For example, bankruptcy judges can lead learning sessions where they communicate with state trial court judges and other members of the legal community about bankruptcy issues. As stated in the 2017 pocket guide, Enhancing Cooperation Through State–Federal Judicial Councils, “Regular communication with one another on matters of mutual concern can foster cooperation and joint solutions to common problems” (p. vii).

In response to a request from the Judicial Conference Committee on Federal–State Jurisdiction, the Federal Judicial Center contacted bankruptcy judges, state trial court judges, court administrators, and clerks to identify commonly asked questions about bankruptcy. These individuals shared many presentation materials used across the country to help others better understand bankruptcy issues.

The files below bring together all of these lessons into a series of usable, easily-adaptable resources for anyone leading educational sessions about bankruptcy. The first PowerPoint file includes the entire presentation. The following files address each topic separately and are more appropriate for shorter educational sessions focused on a specific topic, such as the automatic stay.

Full presentation

The following presentations are sub-sets of the full presentation:

Bankruptcy overview

Automatic stay

Bankruptcy discharge

Family law

Foreclosure

Additional considerations

If you find this template presentation helpful or have any suggestions, please contact Jason A. Cantone, at fedstate@fjc.gov.