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Judge Joyce Bihary papers

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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library [Contact Us]3460 Chestnut Street, Biddle Law Library, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
NBA.039
Repository:
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
Extent:
2 linear feet
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item], in the Judge Joyce Bihary Papers, National Bankruptcy Archives, NBA.039, Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA.
Date:
1999-2009 (inclusive)
Creator:
Bihary, Joyce and National Bankruptcy Archives
Form:
Video recordings
Abstract:
Judge Bihary received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1975. From 1987-2003, she served as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia. In 2003, Judge Bihary was sworn in as Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia. She served this position from 2003 until her retirement in May of 2012. The Judge Joyce Bihary Papers, 1999-2009, includes materials created, collected, and received by Judge Bihary from two periods of her career. First, materials from the 1999 Debtor Education Program in Atlanta, Georgia which contains information regarding American bankruptcy in the mid to late 1990's. Second, the collection includes information regarding the proposed mortgage "cramdown" legislation specifically referencing H.R. 1106 during 2008-2009. These are materials gathered by judges for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges to weigh in on issues presented by the proposed bills. The collection is comprised of videotapes, memorandums, correspondence with attachments, emails, scholarly articles, studies, and reports, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report, and instructional materials on financial management which include guides and manuals.

Judge Bihary completed her Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Wellesley College in 1972. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School three years later in 1975. Judge Bihary served as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia from 1987-2003. On December 1, 2003, Judge Bihary was sworn in as Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia. She served as Chief Judge from 2003 till her retirement in May of 2012.

During the latter part of her career, she was asked to participate in a discussion panel with the bar in March of 2009, when it was believed by the bar and the bench that bankruptcy judges might be given the authority to approve mortgage cramdowns in Chapter 13 cases.

The collection is divided into two series. Please note that it was in the best interest of the collection to keep all email attachments with the original email in order to preserve original order.

The first series Debtor Education Program, 1999-2000, is comprised of materials used during the 1999 Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor Education and the Georgia Consortium for Personal Financial Literacy Program. Materials include: videotapes, memorandums, correspondence with attachments, scholarly articles, reports, and instructional materials on financial management which include guides and manuals.

The second series Mortgage "Cramdown" Legislation Materials, 2008-2009, is comprised of materials gathered by judges for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges to weigh in on issues presented by some of the proposed bills. The materials include correspondence, emails with attachments, memorandums, newspaper articles, scholarly articles, studies, and reports, government documents which include bills and Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports, criticisms, and related materials regarding the proposed legislation.

1. Debtor Education Program 2. Mortgage "Cramdown" Legislation Materials

    Missing Title
  1. Debtor Education Program
  2. Mortgage "Cramdown" Legislation Materials

Received from Joyce Bihary on May 16, 2012, with possible later accruals.

Processed by Hoang Tran, July 2012.

Subject

Publisher
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
Finding Aid Author
Hoang Tran
Finding Aid Date
2012 July
Access Restrictions

The archives reserves the right to restrict access to materials of sensitive nature. Please contact the department for further information.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Correspondence on matters regarding how to hold a debtor education program.

Correspondence, 1999 September 29-2000 March 3.
Box 1 Folder 1
Fax, 2009 August 31.
Box 1 Folder 2
Memorandum, 1999 November 4-1999 November 8.
Box 1 Folder 3
Scope and Contents

Published materials used and distributed at the October 29, 1999 Debtor Education Program. It features guides and handbooks for instructors and distributable information catalogs for participants.

Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor Education: Demonstration Planning Kit, 1999 October 29.
Box 1 Folder 4
Financial Management Guide, circa 1999.
Box 1 Folder 5
Guide to Holding a Debtor Education Demonstration Program, 1999.
Box 1 Folder 6
Instructor's Manual to Accompany Financial Management Guide, 1999.
Box 1 Folder 7
Lessons from the Trenches: Debtor Education in Theory and Practice, 2002.
Box 1 Folder 8
Personal Financial Choices, Practical Money Skills for Life, 2001.
Box 1 Folder 9
Personal Financial Choices: Setting a New Course, The Basics of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, 1998.
Box 1 Folder 10
Personal Financial Choices: Setting a New Course, Money Management Guide, 1999.
Box 1 Folder 11
Scope and Contents

Videotapes (VHS) feature educational videos used during the 1999 Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor Education and the Georgia Consortium for Personal Financial Literacy Program in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Basics of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, 1999.
Box 1 Folder 12
The Basics of Money Management, 1999.
Box 1 Folder 13
Chapter 13: Legal and Administrative Process, 1999.
Box 2 Folder 1
Debtor Education: Coalition Progress Tape 1 and 2, 1999.
Box 2 Folder 2
Teaching Chapter 7 Legal and Administrative Process, 1999.
Box 2 Folder 3

Scope and Contents

Includes news articles, correspondence with their attachments, and government reports and bills regarding H.R. 1106.

Correspondence, 2008 December 8-2008 December 12.
Box 2 Folder 4
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports: Seismic Effects of the Bankruptcy Reform, 2008.
Box 3 Folder 1
Government Documents, 2009.
Box 3 Folder 2
News articles, 2008 November-2009 March.
Box 3 Folder 3
Scope and Contents

Email correspondence written and received along with their attachments by Judge Bihary regarding the need for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges to weigh in on issues presented by some of the proposed bills.

Email Correspondence, 2009.
Box 3 Folder 4-7
Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence, news articles, and discussion panel materials regarding the 2009 National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Ad Hoc Committee.

Correspondence, 2009.
Box 3 Folder 8-9
Metropolitan Atlanta Consumer Bankruptcy Group (MACBAG) Subject: Modification of Home Mortgages, 2009 March 19.
Box 3 Folder 10
News articles, 2009.
Box 3 Folder 11

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