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Bankruptcy Law

Washington University in St. Louis

Consumer Debtors

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An Empirical Examination Of Access To Chapter 7 Relief By Pro Se Debtors, Rafael I. Pardo Jan 2009

An Empirical Examination Of Access To Chapter 7 Relief By Pro Se Debtors, Rafael I. Pardo

Scholarship@WashULaw

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA) represents the most significant overhaul of federal bankruptcy law since the Bankruptcy Code’s enactment in 1978. The legislation expanded the grounds on which a debtor’s Chapter 7 case may be dismissed. Moreover, it increased the administrative requirements imposed upon debtors who file for bankruptcy (e.g., increased financial disclosures), which in turn has had the effect of increasing the direct costs of filing for bankruptcy (e.g., filing fees and attorneys’ fees). With this increased complexity in accessing Chapter 7 relief, the question arises whether BAPCPA has had a disproportionate impact …


Setting The Record Straight: A Sur-Reply To Professors Lawless Et Al, Rafael I. Pardo Jan 2009

Setting The Record Straight: A Sur-Reply To Professors Lawless Et Al, Rafael I. Pardo

Scholarship@WashULaw

I have recently engaged in a scholarly exchange with Professors Robert M. Lawless, Angela K. Littwin, Katherine M. Porter, John A. E. Pottow, Deborah K. Thorne, and Elizabeth Warren that debates the conclusions they have drawn in their first report from the 2007 Consumer Bankruptcy Project (the First Report). Unfortunately, the reply of Professors Lawless et al. to my critique mischaracterizes, misinterprets, and does not fully engage with the constructive commentary that I suggested. This sur-reply clarifies the misperceptions and mischaracterizations of my commentary by Professors Lawless et al. and demonstrates that my arguments not only are grounded in a …