Faculty & Scholarship

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Bankruptcy Reform

February 24-25, 2006

On April 20, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, the most sweeping bankruptcy reform legislation to be passed by Congress in over a quarter of a century. This legislation has become the subject of contentious debate among academics, bankruptcy judges, and practitioners. Some argue that this reform legislation threatens to undermine the bankruptcy system itself. This symposium examines bankruptcy reform by gathering experts from various fields, including law, psychology, and the judiciary. Addressing topics ranging from the role of race in bankruptcy reform, to using social science research to test the assumptions underlying bankruptcy reform, to the impact of means testing on the bankruptcy system, the goal of this symposium is to afford greater insight into the future of bankruptcy.

The Symposium Presenters (PDF)

Friday, February 24

8:45 a.m.	Symposium Welcome Dean R. Lawrence Dessem and Professor Michelle Arnopol Cecil University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law
9:00 a.m.	Panel Discussion
Presenters	Professor Melissa B. Jacoby University of North Carolina School of Law Bankruptcy Reform and the Cost of Sickness: Exploring the Connections Dean Daniel L. Keating Washington University School of Law Why the Bankruptcy Reform Act Left Labor Legacy Costs Alone Professor Richard L. Wiener University of Nebraska Department of Psychology Testing the Assumptions in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005: The Role of Social Science Research
Commentators	Professor John A. E. Pottow University of Michigan Law School Professor Katherine M. Porter University of Iowa College of Law
1:00 p.m.	Nelson Lecture Welcome Dean R. Lawrence Dessem University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law
1:15 p.m.	Keynote Address Professor James J. White University of Michigan Law School Changing Incentives: Changing Law
2:15 p.m.	Wine and Cheese Reception
3:00 p.m.	Panel Discussion
Presenters	Professor A. Mechele Dickerson University of Texas School of Law Race Matters in Bankruptcy Reform Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff Chief Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Illinois The Impact of Means Testing on the Bankruptcy System Professor Michelle Arnopol Cecil University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law Bankruptcy Reform: What's Tax Got To Do With It?
Commentator	Professor Wilson Freyermuth, Jr. University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law

Saturday, February 25

8:30 a.m.	Roundtable Discussion The Future of Bankruptcy
Moderator	Michelle Arnopol Cecil
Participants	A. Mechele Dickerson Wilson Freyermuth, Jr. Melissa B. Jacoby Daniel L. Keating Katherine M. Porter John A. E. Pottow Eugene R. Wedoff James J. White Richard L. Wiener

General Information

Directions to the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law

From Interstate 70, exit at Providence Road and turn south. After approximately 1.5 miles, turn left onto Stewart Road. Turn right onto Sixth Street where Stewart Road ends. At the intersection of Sixth Street and Conley Road, go straight into the Turner Avenue Parking Garage. Visitor parking is available on levels 3, 6, and 7. From the garage, proceed two blocks east to John K. Hulston Hall, located on the corner of Conley and Missouri Avenues.

Lodging, Dining & Recreation in Columbia, Missouri

www.onlinecolumbia.com
www.visitcolumbiamo.com

Cost & Registration

There is no fee for the symposium. Registration is requested by Friday, February 10, 2006. To register, or for more information, please contact Michelle Cecil at (573) 882-7765 or cecilm@missouri.edu.

Continuing Legal Education Credit

This symposium is approved for 8.1 hours of mandatory continuing legal education credit in the State of Missouri.