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Bankruptcy Law

Legislative History

For comprehensive information on how to conduct federal legislative history and where federal legislative history content can be accessed, please see the Law Library's Federal Legislature: Legislative History LibGuide.

Secondary Sources

Collier on Bankruptcy (Richard Levin & Henry J. Sommer eds., current) (Lexis password required)
This is the preeminent treatise in the bankruptcy field. It is highly useful for practitioners and may be useful for law students or others looking for one resource that provides extensive information on the field. 

Consumer Bankruptcy Law: Chapters 7 & 13 (Hon. William Houston Brown (Ret.), 2014)
This monograph describes the common types of fact and legal issues that arise in the bankruptcy and appellate courts, highlighting the relevant and principal Supreme Court, appellate, and trial court authority. Written as a reference for federal judges, it provides an overview of the bankruptcy litigation process and types of relief.

Bankruptcy in a Nutshell (David G. Epstein, 2021)
This resource is very useful for law students, in particular, as it breaks down important information about bankruptcy law in an easy-to-understand format. Also available on West Academic (available on campus, remotely with ASURITE, or with West Academic account). 

Bankruptcy and Debtor/Creditor: Examples and Explanations 
This book is designed for law students. It gives a wealth of information about bankruptcy along with helpful questions to test the student’s knowledge.  The eighth edition (Brian A. Blum & Samir D. Parikh, 2023) is available thorough the Aspen Learning Library (available on campus, remotely with ASURITE, or with Aspen Learning Library account). The sixth edition (Brian A. Blum, 2014) is available in print in the Law Library. 

Bankruptcy Law Manual (Hon. Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) et al., 2020)
This resource provides timely information regarding statutory changes and judicial decisions affecting bankruptcy issues, including consumer and business liquidation cases under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, business reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, Chapter 13 debt adjustments for individuals with regular income, alternative insolvency proceedings under state law, Bankruptcy Court jurisdiction and the right to a jury trial, the trustee's power to avoid fraudulent transfers and preferences, and assumption and rejection of executory contracts and leases. It also provides thousands of case citations for easy location of primary authority. 

Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice (Henry J. Sommer, 2016)
This resource is a part of the “Debtor Rights Library” series and is useful for the practitioner who is representing consumers. Volume One contains a detailed and incisive analysis of consumer bankruptcy topics. Volume Two is packed with practice aids in the text and on the website: a client questionnaire, completed and annotated official forms, software to complete the forms, 170 pleadings, a date calculator, IRS forms, means test data, client handouts, and more. It provides all of the necessary information for filing a chapter 7, 12, or 13 bankruptcy.

The Elements of Bankruptcy 7th (Douglas G. Baird, 2022)
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of bankruptcy law. It covers foundational questions such as the fresh start for individuals, property of the estate, executory contracts, adequate protection, preferences, and fraudulent conveyances. This title is also available on West Academic (available on campus, remotely with ASURITE, or with West Academic account).

Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice 3d (William L. Norton III, current, Westlaw password required) 
This treatise covers the history and structure of American bankruptcy law, analysis of the bankruptcy code, and analysis of laws and issues related to bankruptcy. It also contains official bankruptcy forms and a dictionary of bankruptcy terms.

Bloomberg Law: Bankruptcy Treatise (Samir D. Parikh et al. eds., 2021, Bloomberg Law password required)
This treatise is a comprehensive resource on bankruptcy law.

American Bankruptcy Institute Journal
The American Bankruptcy Institute Journal is published by the American Bankruptcy Institute, a professional organization of bankruptcy professionals from law, accounting, finance, and academia. The Journal publishes articles on topics including asset sales, bankruptcy litigation, and business reorganization. It is available on Westlaw (Westlaw password required) and Lexis (Lexis password required).

American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review
Published by the American Bankruptcy Institute and Thomson Reuters, the American Bankruptcy Law Review publishes scholarly articles on bankruptcy topics.  It is available on HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE), Westlaw (Westlaw password required), and Lexis (Lexis password required).

American Bankruptcy Law Journal
The American Bankruptcy Law Journal is a peer-reviewed journal published by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. It publishes articles focusing on bankruptcy law and related subjects. The Journal is available on HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE), Westlaw (Westlaw password required), and Lexis (Lexis password required).

Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal
The Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal is a student-edited journal published semi-annually. It provides a forum for research, debate, and information for practitioners, scholars and the public. The Journal is available on HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE), Westlaw (Westlaw password required), and Lexis (Lexis password required).

Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law (Westlaw password required)
The Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law is published annually by Thomson Reuters. It includes commentary on substantive and procedural issues in bankruptcy law practice and the constitutionality of the bankruptcy courts, along with developments in bankruptcy case law. 

Debt’s Dominion: A History of Bankruptcy Law in America (David A. Skeel, Jr., 2001)
This book details the political and legal history of the American bankruptcy code.

Richard I. Aaron, Hooray for Gibberish—A glossary of Bankruptcy Slang for the Occasional Practitioner or Bewildered Judge3 DePaul Bus. & Comm. L.J. 141 (2005) (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE)
A light-hearted law review article that explains many terms that are heavily used in the case law, yet have no official definitions, such as "absolute priority," "cramdown," and "lien-stripping."