Calendar of events -- Los Angeles bankruptcy professionals

This is a calendar of events of interest to Los Angeles bankruptcy professionals. All start times are Pacific Time. If you would like an event to be posted on "the dog," please send your announcement to J. Scott Bovitz. Include the link to the registration page on your group's web site. Thank you.

https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2025/10/17/judiciary-funding-runs-out-only-limited-operations-continue

The judicial branch announced that beginning on Monday, Oct. 20, it will no longer have funding to sustain full, paid operations. Until the ongoing lapse in government funding is resolved, federal courts will maintain limited operations necessary to perform the Judiciary’s constitutional functions.

Federal judges will continue to serve, in accordance with the Constitution, but court staff may only perform certain excepted activities permitted under the Anti-Deficiency Act.

Examples of excepted work include activities necessary to perform constitutional functions under Article III, activities necessary for the safety of human life and protection of property, and activities otherwise authorized by federal law. Excepted work will be performed without pay during the funding lapse. Staff members not performing excepted work will be placed on furlough.

Each appellate, district, and bankruptcy court will make operational decisions regarding how its cases and probation and pretrial supervision will be conducted during the funding lapse. Each court and federal defender’s office will determine the staffing resources necessary to support such work.

Anyone with Judiciary business should direct questions to the appropriate clerk of court’s office, probation and pretrial supervision office, or federal defender organization, or consult their websites. Find contact information and websites for federal court units.

Other shutdown information:

The Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system will remain in operation for electronic filing of documents. Case information will be available on PACER.
Individual courts will determine which cases will continue on schedule, and which may be delayed.
The jury program is funded by money not affected by the appropriations lapse and will continue to operate. Jurors should follow instructions from courts and report to courthouses as directed.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which maintains this website on behalf of the Judiciary, will not have staffing to answer the AO’s public telephone number. View contact information for the Administrative Office during the funding lapse.

A government-wide shutdown began Oct. 1. The Judiciary was able to continue paid operations through Oct. 17, with limited additional work performed over the weekend of Oct. 18-19, using court fee balances and other funds not dependent on a new appropriation.

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, NextGen TMA. Happy hour mixer. Los Angeles (All Season Brewing).

Federal Bar Association, Orange County Chapter. Annual Judge's Night. Hon. Houle, Hon. Gee, Hon. Stevenson (honors Judge Albert).

Financial Lawyers Conference, also sponsored by Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum. Bankruptcy Transactional & Litigation Skills. Golubchik, Sahn, Winick, del Castillo. Century City.

FOUR PROGRAMS:
1. AI Revolution: Transforming Legal Practice? Or Just Old-Fashioned Ethics?
2. Civility Through Their Eyes: Judges and Counsel in Conversation
3. The Ethics of Mediation: 30 Years of Lessons in Mediation
4. Insights on Implicit Bias: Statistics, War Stories, and Strategies

SPEAKERS:
• Honorable Sandra Klein, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
• Honorable Barry Russell, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
• Honorable Deborah Saltzman, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
• Honorable Erithe A. Smith, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
• Professor Nancy B. Rapoport, Garman Turner Gordon Professor of Law, Boyd School of Law, and Affiliate Professor of Business Law & Ethics, Lee Business School, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• J. Scott Bovitz, Bovitz & Spitzer
• Howard Ehrenberg, Greenspoon Marder
• Misty Perry Isaacson, MPI LAW, P.C.
• Dmitri Ragano, Director of Digital Platforms and Strategy, Hoag Health Systems
• Sharon Weiss, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

• Program Chair: Joseph Boufadel, Salvato Boufadel LLP

Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, TMA SoCal Holiday Party, sponsored by Financial Lawyers Conference, Annual Holiday Party. Los Angeles (Drago).

"The Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure (Standing Committee) has proposed amendments to their respective rules and form and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar, and public for comment. The public comment period ends February 16, 2026. To view the proposed revisions, reports explaining the proposed changes, as well as information about submitting written comments or testimony at public hearings, please visit the Rules and Policies webpage on the U.S. Courts website at http://go.usa.gov/ypeJ."

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