This course will take you through the basics of Bankruptcy law including the types of debtors and creditors, an overview of the bankruptcy code chapters, exemptions, the liquidation process, and preparing the petition. Even if you do not practice bankruptcy law, these issues are likely to come up in your legal career no matter your area of practice.
NY: 2.0 Professional Practice
NJ: 2.0 General (NJ Trust and Accounting)
CA: 1.5 General
To obtain PA credit, you must send your PA bar registration number to info@marinolegal.com upon completion of the course.
NY: 2.0 Professional Practice
NJ: 2.0 General (NJ Trust and Accounting)
CA: 1.5 General
To obtain PA credit, you must send your PA bar registration number to info@marinolegal.com upon completion of the course.
Joseph Shapiro
Joseph Shapiro concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial bankruptcy, individual bankruptcy, creditor/debtor representation, and bankruptcy litigation. In 2015, Mr. Shapiro served as a Judge in the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition. Since 2014, Mr. Shapiro has served as a Continuing Legal Education Presenter with Marino Legal CLE. Since 2012, Mr. Shapiro has served as a Volunteer Attorney with the Honorable Morris Stern Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project (the Rutgers-Newark Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project). In 2010, Mr. Shapiro co-founded PayMyTrustee (www.paymytrustee.com), a nationwide Chapter 13 trustee payment service, and holds a patent entitled Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee Payment System and Method. PayMyTrustees vendors currently provide services to debtors in 45+ states. Since 2008, Mr. Shapiro has been a member of the Bankruptcy Inn of Court. He is currently a Barrister in the Inn. While attending Seton Hall Law, Mr. Shapiro accepted legal internships with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc. and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in New York, and served as a research assistant to Professors Carl H. Coleman and Gaia Bernstein. Education Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, J.D., I.P. Concentration (2008) The Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, B.F.A., magna cum laude, I.D. (2002) Admitted State of New Jersey (2008) United States District Court, District of New Jersey (2008) State of New York (2009) United States District Court, Eastern District of New York (2009) United States District Court, Southern District of New York (2009)
Melinda Middlebrooks
Melinda Middlebrooks is the Managing Partner of the law firm of Middlebrooks Shapiro, P.C. in Springfield, New Jersey. Ms. Middlebrooks areas of practice include creditor rights and commercial, business, creditor and consumer bankruptcy law. She has twenty-eight years experience in bankruptcy practice having first served as a judicial law clerk for the late Chief Judge Vincent J. Commisa, U.S.B.C. (D.N.J.). While in law school at Seton Hall University School of Law (1984 graduate), Ms. Middlebrooks served on the Legislative Journal as Associate Editor. She was awarded the law schools faculty award for Most Outstanding Contribution to the Law School and the Community. After completing her judicial clerkship, Ms. Middlebrooks became an associate with McCarter & English in Newark, New Jersey. Twenty years ago, in 1993, she opened her bankruptcy boutique law firm serving medium sized Chapter 11 cases, as well as, individual Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 matters. Ms. Middlebrooks is a Master with the Bankruptcy Inn of Court; a frequent lecturer; has served as a Panelist for the Annual Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference (ICLE); authored numerous articles, including What Every Practioner Should Know About Bankruptcy Before One is Filed published by the prestigous New Jersey Lawyer The Magazine of the New Jersey Bar Association. Ms. Middlebrooks is a litigator in both state and federal courts with numerous reported decisions. She is also an adjunct professor of bankruptcy law at Union County College. Ms. Middlebrooks is co-founder of PayMyTrustee (www.paymytrustee.com) which online service allows Chapter 13 debtors to make online Chapter 13 Plan payments and a named inventor for the pending patented process. Ms. Middlebrooks was named one of New Jerseys 2013 Best 50 Women in Business. She came to law following a career as an educator elected three times to the Union Township Board of Education where she served as President. Ms. Middlebrooks is proud of her three children, one of whom, Joseph Middlebrooks Shapiro, Esq. is her law partner and her daughter, Jessica Middlebrooks Minecci who is soon to graduate from Seton Hall Law School. Her late husband, Richard Paul Shapiro, Esq., was also her law partner and s a graduate of Seton Hall Law School (1987). Education Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, J.D. Columbia University, New York, NY, M.A. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, B.S. (with honors). Admitted State of Tennessee United States District Court, District of New Jersey United States District Court, Eastern District of New York United States District Court, Southern District of New York United States District Court, Western District of Tennessee United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit United States Claims Court United States Supreme Court