An Introduction and Guide to Bankruptcy Research at New York Law Institute

Compiled by:

Karen Oesterle, Head of Reference & Emily Moog, Research Librarian
New York Law Institute 120 Broadway Suite 932 New York, NY 10271
212-732-8720
library@nyli.org
https://www.nyli.org
July 8, 2019

Primary Sources

Bankruptcy Code

Title 11 is divided into several chapters.  For historical reasons, all but one of the chapters are odd-numbered—1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 15.  Chapters 1, 3, and 5 are general provisions that are applicable in all bankruptcy proceedings, unless explicitly made inapplicable in a specific context. The remaining chapters each govern a different type of bankruptcy proceeding.

Statutes

Federal Bankruptcy Code – Title 11

Title 11 is currently subdivided into eight chapters. Find detail at the same Cornell site
Chapter 1. General Provisions, Definitions and Rules of Construction
Chapter 3. Case Administration
Chapter 5. Creditors, the Debtor, and the Estate
Chapter 7. Liquidation
Chapter 9. Adjustment of the Debts of Municipality
Chapter 11. Reorganization
Chapter 12. Adjustment of the Debts of a Family Farmer with Regular Annual Income
Chapter 13. Adjustment of the Debts of An Individual with Regular Income

Bankruptcy Rules

Published by the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.  

Keeping Current… with ABI & Blogs…

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) gathers stats, tracks legislation, news items

Top 100 Bankruptcy Blogs & Websites to follow in 2019 compiled by Feedspot

Secondary Sources 

Books 

  1. Bankruptcy deskbook / by William C. Hillman, Margaret M. Crouch. Author: Hillman, William C. Publisher: New York, NY : Practising Law Institute, c2014-
    Call Number: KF1524 .L435 2014
  2. Fair debt collection / Robert J. Hobbs ; contributing authors ; Carolyn L. Carter, O. Randolph Bragg, Joanne S. Faulkner, Richard Rubin, Charles Delbaum, Danial A. Edelman. Publisher: Boston, MA : National Consumer Law Center, c2018
    Call Number: KF 1024 .H639 2018  vol. 1 & vol. 2
  3. Bankruptcy and the Supreme Court / by Kenneth N. Klee. Publisher: Newark, NJ : LexisNexis, 2009
    Call Number: KF1524 .K54 2009
  4. Collier bankruptcy practice guide / Lawrence P. King, editor-in-chief. Publisher: New York: Matthew Bender, c1981-
    Call Number: KF1524 .C54
  5. Collier on bankruptcy / 16th Edition. Richard Levin & Henry J. Sommer, editors-in chief Publisher: New York: Matthew Bender, 2018.
    Call Number: KF1524 .C642

    Collier’s is considered the go-to guide & starting point for all Bankruptcy Research

  6. Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978: a Legislative History Author: Resnick, Alan and Wypiski, Eugene Publisher: New York: William S. Hein & Co.. 1979
    Call Number: KF1524 .U55
  7. Collection Actions: Defending Consumers and their assets/ by Jonathan Sheldon… (et al.)Publisher: Boston, Massachusetts. : National Consumer Law Center, c2017
    Call Number:  KF1024.S544 2017
  8.  Federal Deception Law: FTC and CFPB Rules, False Claims Act, Debt Relief, TCPA, Telemarketing and Parallel State Statutes/ by Jonathan Sheldon, Carolyn Carter.  Publisher: Boston, Massachusetts. : National Consumer Law Center, c2017
    Call Number: KF1609.S433 2017
  9. Fundamentals of bankruptcy law / George M. Treister … [et al.] ; seventh edition by Richard B. Levin Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa.: ALI ABA, c2010.
    Call Number: KF1524.T73 2010

PLI publishes proceedings of annual courses.  Some recent titles in our collection:

  1. Bankruptcy & reorganizations, 2017: current developments/chair, Joseph Samet. Publisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2017
    Call Number: PLI COMM 999-10000
  1. Bankruptcy & reorganizations, 2018: current developments/chair, Joseph Samet. Publisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2018.
    Call Number: PLI COMM 1008-1000
  1. Nuts and bolts of Corporate bankruptcy, 2017/co-chairs Andre P. DeNatale, David B. Shemano. Publisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2017.
    Call Number; PLI COMM 1004
  1. Recent developments in distressed debt, restructurings and workouts, 2017/Chair, Joseph Samet Publisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2017.
    Call Number:  PLI COMM 998
  1. Recent developments in distressed debt, restructurings and workouts, 2018/Chair, Joseph SametPublisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2018.
    Call Number:  PLI COMM 10006
  2. 23rd annual consumer financial services institute / co-chairs, Alan S. Kaplinsky, John J. Roddy, Julia B. Strickland, Beth E. Terrell. Publisher: New York, New York: Practising Law Institute, c. 2018.
    Call Number:  PLI CORP 2394-2395

Selection of eBooks available: 

  1. Making failure feasible: how bankruptcy reform can end “too big to fail” / edited by Kenneth E. Scott, Thomas H. Jackson, and John B. Taylor. Publisher: Stanford, California: Hoover Institution Press, 2015.
  1. Property Boom & Banking Bust: The Role of Commercial Lending in the Bankruptcy of Banks. Author: Jones, Colin.Publisher: Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2017.
  1. Turnaround Management and Bankruptcy: A Research Companion.Author: Adriaanse, Jan.Publisher: Florence: Taylor and Francis, 2017.

Databases 

ProQuest Congressional   

An example of the type of material found:156 Nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports on bankruptcy

Hein Online 

Legislative history collection includes

  1. Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978: A Legislative History.  Also available in print.        (see #7 above)
  2. Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984: P.L. 98-353: 98 Stat. 333: July 10, 1984

Bankruptcy journals include:

  •  The American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review
  • The American Bankruptcy Law Journal
  • Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal
  • Review of Banking and Financial Law (Annual)
  • Rutgers Business Law Review (Semiannual)
  • Yale Journal on Regulation

Government Websites

United States Bankruptcy Courts 

This site includes general information and provides links to the 94 federal district courts which handle bankruptcy filings. It has a “Bankruptcy Basics” section which explains the differences amongst the most common types of bankruptcy filings. There are online forms and links to pending changes to the bankruptcy forms and rules as well as videos on types of bankruptcy, limits of bankruptcy, filing for bankruptcy, creditors meeting, court hearings, discharge and legal assistance.

Admin Office of U.S.

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts keeps quarterly bankruptcy statistics. Online resources include comparisons of years, types of bankruptcies filed, and time periods.

United States Department of Justice, United States Trustee Program

The webpage for the United States Trustee Program of the United States Department of Justice provides links to trustee locations, bankruptcy reform information, and statistics and includes general information about the US bankruptcy system and current developments in the area and information about credit counseling.

For additional listing of bankruptcy treatises and sources, we recommend exploring these academic websites: