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Bankruptcy Law

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The reference librarians at the Ross-Blakley Law Library are happy to help you find or navigate research resources.

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Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (COL) Students

  • Make an Appointment with a Law Librarian:  COL students can make individual appointments with law librarians for one-on-one assistance by submitting this online request form. Appointments are available in-person, by phone, or via Zoom.
  • Group Research Training with a Law Librarian:  This is an opportunity for groups of three or more COL students to receive personalized research instruction on any legal research topic. The Law Library's expert reference librarians will meet with your group and provide training to meet your research needs. Group trainings can be held in-person or via Zoom.

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 (edited by Lawrence P. King, 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 (Judge William Houston Brown, 2018)
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 and Related Law 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. This title is also available on West Academic (ASU Law students only).

Bankruptcy and Debtor/Creditor: Examples and Explanations (Brian A. Blum, 2014)
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.  This title is also available thorough the Aspen Learning Library (ASU Law students only).

Bankruptcy Law Manual (Nancy C. Dreher and Joan N. Feeney, 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. This resource would be extremely useful for the bankruptcy practitioner.

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 (ASU Law students only).

Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice 3d (William Norton, 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., current, 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 matters related to insolvency. 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 (on campus or remote access 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 (on campus or remote access 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 (on campus or remote access with ASURITE), Westlaw (Westlaw password required), and Lexis (Lexis password required).

Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law
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 Court, along with developments in bankruptcy case law. It is available in print in the Law Library K15 .O7351 and online through Westlaw (Westlaw password required).

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 available via HeinOnline that explains many terms that are heavily used in the case law, but yet have no official definitions, such as "absolute priority," "cramdown," and "lien-stripping."