The Southern District of New York (“SDNY”) Bankruptcy Legal Clinic (“The Clinic”) was formed to assist current and potential litigants in chapter 7 and/or chapter 13 cases. The goal of the Clinic is to assist unrepresented consumers, at the pre-filing and post-filing stages of bankruptcy, by providing them with a firsthand look at the importance of working with an experienced attorney should they decide to pursue bankruptcy. Consumers are given the opportunity to schedule an appointment to meet with an attorney for a free 30-minute consult. The 4-month pilot program began in September 2019.
This is a new endeavor for the SDNY and is a long time coming. The idea for the development of the program came as a result of the 2019 Second Circuit “Access to Justice” conference, which consisted of Bankruptcy breakout informational sessions. Among those featured were Elise Kanter, Esq., Pro Se Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Bankruptcy Court (“EDNY”), who provided an overview of the pro se services that EDNY offers to those who require assistance with questions about filing procedures and forms. Also featured were the Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court staff, headed by Susan Thurston, Clerk of Court; Amy Geraghty, Operations Manager; and Janet Descoteaux, Public Information Specialist, who gave a presentation on the Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court’s Free Bankruptcy Legal Clinic. Inspired to address the needs of our pro se consumers and by the efforts of Rhode Island and EDNY to address those needs in their respective districts, we reached out to Susan and her staff and discussed the idea of developing a legal clinic at the SDNY Bankruptcy Court. The Rhode Island Bankruptcy staff was gracious enough to take part in the SDNY’s Chapter 13 Strategic Planning Meeting where they discussed in-depth the process involved with putting a successful program in place. The presentation inspired us even further to develop a clinic to service our consumers.
We enlisted the services of three local bankruptcy attorneys who shared our vision and volunteered to offer free, on-site information and guidance to consumers who are contemplating or already have filed for bankruptcy. The volunteer attorneys at the Clinic help the unrepresented consumer understand the bankruptcy process and provide limited case-specific advice. The volunteer attorneys are available for appointments 1-2 times per month for 2-hour intervals. Our legal clinic staff works closely with volunteer attorneys to secure appointments and make referrals as they arise. The clinic team is comprised of Carmen Ortiz, Court Services Specialist; Shea Harris, Case Administrator; Joe Aulisi, Programmer/Analyst; and Annya Acosta, Director of Operations.
To date, The Clinic has serviced 20 consumers and the feedback that we’ve received so far from the public has been extremely positive.
This is a new endeavor for the SDNY and is a long time coming. The idea for the development of the program came as a result of the 2019 Second Circuit “Access to Justice” conference, which consisted of Bankruptcy breakout informational sessions. Among those featured were Elise Kanter, Esq., Pro Se Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Bankruptcy Court (“EDNY”), who provided an overview of the pro se services that EDNY offers to those who require assistance with questions about filing procedures and forms. Also featured were the Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court staff, headed by Susan Thurston, Clerk of Court; Amy Geraghty, Operations Manager; and Janet Descoteaux, Public Information Specialist, who gave a presentation on the Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court’s Free Bankruptcy Legal Clinic. Inspired to address the needs of our pro se consumers and by the efforts of Rhode Island and EDNY to address those needs in their respective districts, we reached out to Susan and her staff and discussed the idea of developing a legal clinic at the SDNY Bankruptcy Court. The Rhode Island Bankruptcy staff was gracious enough to take part in the SDNY’s Chapter 13 Strategic Planning Meeting where they discussed in-depth the process involved with putting a successful program in place. The presentation inspired us even further to develop a clinic to service our consumers.
We enlisted the services of three local bankruptcy attorneys who shared our vision and volunteered to offer free, on-site information and guidance to consumers who are contemplating or already have filed for bankruptcy. The volunteer attorneys at the Clinic help the unrepresented consumer understand the bankruptcy process and provide limited case-specific advice. The volunteer attorneys are available for appointments 1-2 times per month for 2-hour intervals. Our legal clinic staff works closely with volunteer attorneys to secure appointments and make referrals as they arise. The clinic team is comprised of Carmen Ortiz, Court Services Specialist; Shea Harris, Case Administrator; Joe Aulisi, Programmer/Analyst; and Annya Acosta, Director of Operations.
To date, The Clinic has serviced 20 consumers and the feedback that we’ve received so far from the public has been extremely positive.