Bankruptcy Week Day 2 Recap
Day 2 of the Bankruptcy Week Summit has come to an end. Read this blog post for the recap.
  • legal
  • tech
NextChapter Team
Published on May 12, 2020

 

The second day of the Bankruptcy Week Summit brought even more information to the table for attorneys new to bankruptcy. The five-day virtual bankruptcy conference addresses some of the hottest topics in legal and tech, and it’s completely free to register. Here’s what happened on day two.

 

Session 1: Chapter 13 Bankruptcies with Athena Inembolidis

Athena Inembolidis, Founder and Managing Attorney at Athena Legal, started practicing bankruptcy in 2008 to help debtors find financial relief. She attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is the board president-elect of the Credit Education Coalition.

 

This live session dove deep into Chapter 13 bankruptcies, providing the basics for new bankruptcy attorneys.

 

What was covered:

  • Chapter 13 (CH 13) may seem intimidating but they can be easy and profitable with the right tools and skills.
  • A CH 13 debtor is a debtor in possession, meaning debtors can sell and lease property.
  • There are many mortgage benefits under a CH 13. For example, trustees can disburse the monthly payment, which allows debtors to consolidate payments.
  • You can lower vehicle payments and the interest rate using a CH 13. Additionally, some property is secured under Ch 13.
  • You can use a CH 13 to repay tax debts under certain circumstances.
  • With CH 13 you can defer some of the fees, which makes it more affordable upfront for debtors to file.

 

Session 2: Women of Legal Tech Panel with Jess Birken, Ivy Grey, and Cat Moon, Moderated by Janine Sickmeyer

Jess Birken is an attorney and owner of Birken Law Office, where she helps nonprofits and works as a solopreneur. Ivy Grey is the VP of Strategy and Business Development for WordRake and previously worked in bankruptcy law for ten years. Cat Moon is a speaker, coach, and law professor. She is the Director of Innovation Design at Vanderbilt Law School and directs the Program on Law and Innovation’s Institute. This session was moderated by Janine Sickmeyer, Founder and Managing Director of NextChapter.

 

These three experts in the legal industry discussed legal tech and how women have made some of the biggest impacts.

 

What was covered:

  • A conversation about women in legal tech: women hold only 25% of all jobs in tech, and only 5% of leadership roles.
  • Adjustments to working from home as a lawyer and legal technologists: challenges with networking, one-on-ones with colleagues, and not being able to do after-work activities.
  • COVID-19 is pushing people to work online and from home. People are adapting well to the digital workspace.
  • Technology can greatly improve the field of law. Sometimes it can be shocking that so many law firms do not work online. Now, attorneys are focusing on learning tools and learning them well.
  • Marketing during COVID-19: informing prospects that you're available online during the pandemic and having empathy.
  • Serving clients who do not have access to technology: meet your clients where they are and work with them on their own terms.

 

Session 3: Happy Hour Chat: Social Media & Law Firm Culture with Jordan Couch

Jordan Couch is a Partner and Culture Ambassador at Palace Law. He works on workers’ comp and personal injury cases, and spends time outside of work helping law firms focus on their clients and become more modern.

 

In this happy hour chat, Jordan offered up advice about how attorneys should focus on social media and culture when attracting clients and hiring.

 

What was covered:

  • Every single lawyer should be on social media because having conversations with your potential clients is crucial. 79% of Americans have a social media account.
  • The benefits of being on social media as a lawyer, which platforms you should use, social media best practices.
  • Your social media should reflect who you are as a person, and being authentic will help you gain clients.
  • The basics of law firm culture, including how to develop and implement culture.
  • Two questions every lawyer should ask themselves when outlining their firm culture: Why does your firm exist (your mission)? Why should I hire you over another attorney (your values)?

 

Here’s what’s coming up on day three!

Wednesday, May 13

Session 1: Business Bankruptcies with Tara Salinas at 11AM ET

Session 2: Working with a Virtual Bankruptcy Paralegal with Mandy Ballinger at 2PM ET

Session 3: Refine Your Law Firm Strategy with Stephanie Everett at 4PM ET

 

There’s still time to register for Bankruptcy Week. It’s completely free and all sessions will be held on Livestorm. We hope to see you there!