Convention & Educational Programs

NACBA’s annual spring NACBA convention is the educational seminar of choice for consumer bankruptcy attorneys nationwide. Judges and nationally recognized speakers provide case law updates, practical tips on effective representation of clients, information on emerging trends nationwide, and in-depth discussions of topical issues. Over a thousand consumer bankruptcy attorneys each year improve their knowledge and skills and still have time to meet and learn from colleagues while obtaining valuable CLE credit.

17th Annual Convention Wrap-Up: Chicago, IL

NACBA’s 17th Annual Convention has now come to a close.  It was a record-sell out – the first Convention ever to sell out.  There were other “firsts” as well – our first-ever Convention golf tournament, our first “overflow” rooms to accommodate additional attendees, a record number of sponsors and exhibitors (49), a first-ever session for paralegals, and two Convention entertainment sponsors, which brought us a show by the famed Second City Comedy troupe and a reception and boat rides down on the banks of the Chicago River.

Our Convention offered attendees nineteen different sessions:

• Case Law Update
• Secured Claims: Limitations And Opportunities
• Washington Update: It's Our Turn Now
• Tax Basics
• Profitably Combating Privacy & Discharge Violations
• Advanced Taxes
• Foreclosure Defense & Other Alternatives To Bankruptcy
• Your First Peek At Chapter  7 & 13
• Evidence: Get It In Or Keep It Out
• Practice Do's And Don’ts: Preventing Fires Before They Start
• Business Chapter 13's
• Family Law And Bankruptcy
• Fdcpa Bootcamp
• Ethics
• Paralegal To Paralegal
• Selected Issues In Chapter 13
• E-Discovery:  Knowing The Right Questions To Ask Can Make All The Difference
• Exemptions
• Taking The Mean Out Of Means Testing
• Marketing Your Practice: Getting Your Message Heard

We also had a record number of Raffle give-aways – here are a few of the prizes:

• Tucson 2009 Members-Only Workshop registration plus one night’s stay at the JW Starr Pass
• 18th Annual Convention San Francisco Convention 2009 registration plus one night’s stay:
• 9 Different Member-designed slogan t-shirts
• Cubs Tickets
• Hot-off-the presses copy of Bankruptcies and Money Disasters of the Rich and Famous (formerly known as They Went Broke)

See the 17th Annual Convention - Chicago 2009 Photo Gallery photos!.

The 18th Annual Convention will be held in San Francisco, CA, April 29 - May 2, 2010.

2008 Members-Only Workshop Wrap-Up

Over 500 NACBA members and their staff descended on Hilton Head Island for a very substantive – and fun – Workshop.  We kicked off the event with our inaugural Golf Tournament, which was a huge success thanks to co-chairs Mark Neis and Joe Romano, a line-up of great sponsors, and picture-perfect weather. Attendees had a choice of two Workshop tracks each day.  On Friday, we offered Basic Design & Construction of a Consumer Bankruptcy Case – Emphasizing Chapter 13 and Bankruptcy Litigation Techniques and Strategies.  On Saturday, attendees had the choice between Intermediate Design & Construction of a Consumer Bankruptcy Case – Emphasizing Chapter 13 and Coping with an Expanding Bankruptcy Practice: Managing Time, People, Documents and Money.  Those interested in purchasing materials have several options.  We offer written materials, a CD containing the written materials, and audiotapes/Mp3s:

See the Workshop gallery photos!.

Special thanks to member Butch Clayton for sharing his excellent photos with us, which are included in the gallery.

NACBA'S 16TH Annual Convention

NACBA's 16th Annual Convention, held May 16 – 18 in Hollywood, CA, drew 1,000 attendees, 45 exhibitors, and over 100 exhibitor staff.  Presenters included, among others, the Honorable: Randolph Haines, Eileen Hollowell, Christopher Klein, Robert Kressel, Elizabeth Magner, Randall Newsome, Elizabeth Perris, Maureen Tighe, and Vincent Zurzolo, and Professors: Jean Braucher, The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law; Kenneth Klee, UCLA School of Law; Katherine M. Porter, University of Iowa College of Law; and Nancy Rapoport, William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV.

A few Convention highlights:

• State Chairs breakfast.  Members had the opportunity meet with colleagues from their home state to discuss the issues of concern in their states, to coordinate their efforts to pursue legislative changes at the state level, and to meet with their State Chair.
• Keynote speech by the Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.
• First-ever live entertainment. Members were treated to the comedy of Josh Kornbluth, a comedic monologist, who performed an excerpt from his widely-acclaimed show "Love and Taxes."
• Awards:  NACBA's Champion of Consumer Rights award was given to:

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-39^th District)– As Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee with jurisdiction over bankruptcy law and one of the original co-sponsors of the "Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act of 2007" bill (H.R. 3609), Congresswoman Sánchez has stepped forward as one of the leading advocates in Washington for equitable treatment of homeowners in bankruptcy who are facing foreclosure. In her role as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, Congresswoman Sánchez has also held hearings to uncover the deficiencies and unintended consequences of the bankruptcy reform legislation passed in 2005. 

Purchase of Convention Materials

Convention materials will be available to purchase for members in the Members Area at www.nacba.org, where you will find downloadable order forms for both hard copy Convention materials and audio recordings of the Convention sessions in the announcements section on the Welcome Page.

Information for Exhibitors/Advertisers

NACBA holds two educational conferences each year: an Annual Convention and a Members-Only Workshop. Each of these events offers attendees access to an Exhibitor Hall. Due to space considerations, there are a limited number of spots available in the Exhibitor Hall, on an invitation-only basis. Exhibitors will be considered only if they offer a service or product that is valuable to our Membership and is consistent with our mission statement. To assist our Members, NACBA strives to offer a wide range of critical services and products at our events. Individuals interested in receiving information about being invited to be an Exhibitor at a NACBA program should email the Executive Director, Barbara Andelman.

NACBA’s Educational Programs

• 1993 - 1st Annual Convention: Asheville
• 1994 - 2nd Annual Convention: San Francisco
• 1995 - 3rd Annual Convention: Boston
• 1996 - 4th Annual Convention: San Antonio
• 1997 - 5th Annual Convention: San Diego
• 1998 - 6th Annual Convention: Miami Beach
• 1999 - 7th Annual Convention: San Francisco
• 2000 - 8th Annual Convention: San Antonio
• 2001 - 9th Annual Convention: Philadelphia
• 2002 - 10th Annual Convention: Las Vegas
• 2003 - 11th Annual Convention: New Orleans
• 2004 - 12th Annual Convention: Boston
• 2005 -  Members-Only Workshop: Chicago
• 2005 -  Members-Only Workshop: Orlando
• 2005 - 13th Annual Convention: San Diego
• 2006 - 14th Annual Convention: New Orleans
• 2007 - 15th Annual Convention: Philadelphia
• 2007 -  Members-Only Workshop: Las Vegas
• 2008 - 16th Annual Convention: Hollywood
• 2008 -  Members-Only Workshop: Hilton Head, SC
• 2009 - 17th Annual Convention: Chicago
• 2010 - 18th Annual Convention: San Francisco