Bankruptcy Section
Annual Report
2021-2022
Section Membership
As of June 15, 2022 the Section has 282 members.
Financial Status
The Section had an account balance of $38,416.96 as of April 30, 2022.
CLEs & Events
The Section hosted 8 events in fiscal year 2021-22.
| Program Title | Date | Event Code | CLE Credits | Attendees | Virtual/ In-person/ Hybrid |
| Deep Thoughts with Former Bankruptcy Judge Kathleen Sanberg | 05/17/2022 | 444736 | 1.0 Standard | 60 | Virtual |
| The Role of the County Attorney in Bankruptcy Cases | 04/19/2022 | 449548 | 1.0 Standard | 37 | Virtual |
| Non-Debtor Agreements in Bankruptcy | 03/15/2022 | 444337 | 1.0 Standard | 36 | Virtual |
| New Chapter 13 Plan | 02/15/2022 | 439675 | 1.0 Standard | 66 | Virtual |
| Bankruptcy Requirements for SBA 7(a) and PPP Loans | 01/18/2022 | 439576 | 1.0 Standard | 35 | Virtual |
| Bankruptcy Section Holiday Reception | 12/14/2021 | N/A | N/A | 21 | Virtual |
| How do we fix Bankruptcy for Homeowners and Creditors? | 11/16/2021 | 422296 | 1.0 Standard | 50 | Virtual |
| Nunc No More? Retroactive Relief in Bankruptcy Post-Acevedo | 09/21/2021 | 401763 | 1.0 Standard | 33 | Virtual |
Annual Meeting and Election Results
The Section’s Annual Meeting was held on May 17, 2022 on Zoom and 60 people attended.
The following officers were elected to serve on the Section’s Governing Council from 7/1/2022 to 6/30/2023:
- Chair: Marie Martin
- Vice-Chair: Cameron Lallier
- Secretary: Karl Johnson
- Treasurer: David Tanabe
- Education Chair: Kevin Kitchen
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This year, the section continued the progress it had made last year by opening up the section meetings to a broader swath of section members by hosting such meetings in a virtual format. Rather than hosting meetings at Kieran’s after the workday, the section also began alternating section meetings between evening and lunchtime in order to permit working parents access to the section.
Treasurer Karl Johnson regularly attended DEI meetings on behalf of the section.
Further, the incoming leadership council is the most racially diverse council in the history of the Bankruptcy Section of the MSBA.
Other Section Accomplishments
The Section awarded the Nancy C. Dreher Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award to Peter Greenlee, Yvonne Michaud Novak, and Dennis Ryan. The Dreher Award recognizes those section members with a deep commitment to the provision of pro bono legal services in the area of bankruptcy and debtor-creditor relations, manifested by career-long involvement in service provision and program support.
The Section awarded its annual Raeder Larson Award to John Dimich and Chris Anderson for their continued and outstanding service to the public through the provision of pro bono legal services and dedication to a system of equal justice for all.
The Section also advocated for the renewal of the MSBA Assembly’s stated position regarding venue reform at the federal level. Members of the leadership council and the section more broadly, advanced a concerted effort to endorse venue reform related to the filing of bankruptcy cases with Congress. Included in this effort a letter, sent in February of 2022, from the Assembly to the U.S. Congressional and Senatorial delegations from Minnesota advocating in favor of modifying venue laws to require companies to file bankruptcy cases in the location of their principal place of business, rather than the state of incorporation.
The Section has also begun the process of developing a list of volunteers to assist pro se parties in bankruptcy mediation matters.
Submitted By:
Jeffrey D. Klobucar, Section Chair
Date: June 21, 2022