Last year I posted about the research binder that Chief Judge Randall J. Newsome of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California makes available to bankruptcy professionals and the public. Well, Chief Judge Newsome has now updated his binder as of February 5, 2009, covering cases through Volume 395 of Bankruptcy Reports. Follow the links in this sentence to access the entire binder in PDF format and the HTML version organized by topic. The PDF version is capable of being searched using a key word or phrase.
The primary focus of the research binder is on Ninth Circuit law given that Chief Judge Newsome presides in the Northern District of California, but some out-of-circuit law is also included. The disclaimer Chief Judge Newsome includes puts the binder’s use in context:
The following list of cases and supplemental information is presented for informational and educational purposes only. Though it represents the aggregation of 19 years of research, the Court makes no claims as to its current level of accuracy. Some of the cases set forth may very well have been superseded, reversed, or otherwise may no longer be good law. The Court has posted it with the intention to educate and assist those who may find it helpful. Accordingly, users should consider it a first, but by no means final, research tool, and should cite check all cases listed herein for continued viability prior to relying on such cases in practice.
With those comments in mind, the binder can be a very helpful place to start when researching bankruptcy law issues in Ninth Circuit.
Bob Eisenbach
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, and recognized as one of Northern California’s Super Lawyers®, Bob focuses his practice on restructuring, bankruptcy, distressed M&A, and related litigation. He is regularly involved in cases throughout the country, including California, Delaware, and New York.