November 17, 2022 GUIDANCE FOR DEPARTMENT ATTORNEYS REGARDING STUDENT LOAN BANKRUPTCY LITIGATION Introduction This memorandum provides guidance (Guidance) to Department of Justice (Department) attorneys regarding requests to discharge student loans in bankruptcy cases. Developed in coordination with the Department of Education (Education), this Guidance will enhance consistency and equity in the handling of these cases....Read More

Qualification for bankruptcy is based solely on income and is determined through a Means Test. That income must be under the “median” income amount for your state and household size. The amount of median income is increasing on April 1, 2023 in Connecticut. This means more folks will be able to qualify for Bankruptcy relief....Read More

Each year, individuals in the bankruptcy process seek to discharge student loan debt in order to get the “fresh start” envisioned by the bankruptcy code. Congress has set a higher bar for discharging student loan debt compared to other debt—debtors who seek to discharge student loans must prove in a separate “adversary proceeding” that paying...Read More

March 24, 2023 – Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court has appointed Jenny L. Doling to serve a three-year term on the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. Her term starts immediately. Jenny L. Doling is a dedicated consumer bankruptcy and tax attorney with years of experience. She’s a Certified State...Read More

CODE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR COURT INTERPRETERS OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT JUDICIAL BRANCH Court interpreters are appointed to serve the court. As officers of the court, all court interpreters are bound by the following professional code of ethics: Canon 1 Court interpreters shall act strictly in the interest of the court they serve. Canon...Read More

The Supreme Court courtroom is 43 feet wide, 56 feet long and 35 feet high. Most of the wood in the room is oak. The state seal is emblazoned on many of the wall panels, the lamps and the carpet. Included in the seal is the state motto, “Qui transtulit sustinet” (“He who transplanted still...Read More

The court hears three or four different cases on each day on which oral arguments are scheduled. After the oral arguments have been finished, the court meets, in its conference room, to reach a preliminary decision about the outcome of each case. When the justices disagree, the greater number becomes the majority of the court...Read More

Almost always, the cases heard in the Supreme Court have first been decided in the Superior Court, which is a trial court where a judge or a jury makes a decision based on conflicting stories from witnesses who describe the history of the controversy. The losing party in the Superior Court has the right to...Read More

Black’s Law Dictionary defines the term “Bankruptcy” simply as insolvency. I often explain to my clients that it basically means you owe more than you are worth. People who owe debts and file for bankruptcy protection are called “Debtors.” The people and companies that are owed the money are called “Creditors.” They say the word...Read More

Prior to the creation of the Supreme Court in 1784, the power to review lower court rulings was vested in the General Assembly, which determined appeals by examining trial court records. Even after its creation, the Supreme Court was not completely independent of the executive and legislative branches, since its members included the Lieutenant Governor,...Read More