Announcements

The Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure has approved publication for public comment proposed amendments to existing rules and forms, as well as several new rules and forms.  The proposed amendments include Bankruptcy Restyled Rules Parts III-VI; Rules 3002.1, 3011, and 8003; new Rule 9038; Official Bankruptcy Forms 101, 309E1, 309E2, and 417A; and new Official Forms 410C13-1N, 410C13-1R, 410C13-10C, 410C13-10NC, and 410C13-10R.  The proposed amendments, rules committee reports explaining the proposed changes, and instructions on how to submit comments are posted here. The public comment period closes on February 16, 2022.

Amendments to Appendix F of the Local Bankruptcy Rules are effective August 1, 2021.  To view the Administrative Order implementing the amendments and a redlined copy of Appendix F, please click here.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland has completed the conversion to NextGen CM/ECF, and the system is available for all users.  All electronic filers must take several steps to file with the Court in NextGen CM/ECF, including linking their prior CM/ECF account with their upgraded PACER account.  Click here for more information.  Clerk's Office staff will be available during regular business hours to assist users having trouble logging onto NextGen.  The Court thanks the members of bar and all filers for their patience and support during the conversion process. 

The Court thanks those attorneys who continue to devote their time to the benefit of pro se debtors and the bankruptcy system in the District of Maryland.  Attorneys who annually take at least two Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service pro bono referrals or staff the Telephonic Debtor Assistance Project/Debtor Assistance Project for six hours every six months are eligible to be added to the Court’s Low Bono Lists, published on the Court’s website. Interested attorneys can find more information here on how to get listed. The Low Bono Lists are made available to debtors seeking bankruptcy counsel for a reduced or deferred fee. The revised Chapter 7 Low Bono List and Chapter 13 Low Bono List contain up-to-date attorney information.

Recent disclosures of widespread cybersecurity breaches of both private sector and government computer systems have prompted the federal courts to add new security procedures to protect highly sensitive documents (“HSDs”) filed with the courts.  HSDs contain information that is so sensitive and confidential that additional precautions beyond sealing the document from public view on the Court’s CM/ECF system is required.  Factors used to determine whether a document constitutes an HSD include whether the case involves: national security; foreign sovereign interests; criminal activity related to cybersecurity; intellectual property, trade secrets, or sensitive commercial information likely to be of interest to foreign powers; terrorism; investigation of public officials; or the reputational interests of the United States.  The following types of documents are generally not considered HSDs: Social Security records, administrative immigration records, information about minors, documents related to domestic abuse, and most other sealed filings in bankruptcy cases.

In order to provide appropriate safeguards for HSDs, they must be filed in paper and not under seal through the Court’s electronic case filing system (CM/ECF).  For HSD filing instructions, or if you believe you previously filed an HSD document with the Court, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (410) 962-2688 or (301) 344-8018 for further instructions.

The new and improved Bankruptcy Court website launched on December 7, 2020.  This multi-year project substantively overhauled and reorganized the website to be more intuitive and helpful to viewers.  It includes improvements to the look and feel of the site with cleaner lines, the use of “mega menus” for easy navigation, greatly improved mobile access, and a host of other improvements, updates and additions.  The Court thanks representatives from the Bankruptcy Bar Association and the MSBA’s Consumer Bankruptcy Section for collaborating on the content and design of the new site.  Comments or feedback on the new site are appreciated and can be provided here.

Amendments to Bankruptcy Rules 2002, 2004, 8012, 8013, 8015 and 8021 are effective December 1, 2020. The text of the amended rules and accompanying committee notes can be viewed here. In addition, The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland has approved amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules 2002-1(g) and 3003-1 effective December 1, 2020. To view the Administrative Order implementing the amendments, a summary of the changes, and a redlined copy of the amended local rules, please click here.

Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark has been sworn in as the new bankruptcy judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.  She was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the untimely passing in November 2019 of The Honorable Wendelin I. Lipp.  Judge Ruark will sit in the Bankruptcy Court's Greenbelt Division.  Click here to read the Announcement.

In collaboration with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) Celebrate Pro Bono 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland recognizes and thanks volunteers and supporters for their outstanding pro bono work during 2019 and 2020 (January-September). For more information and to see the recognized Debtor Assistance Project and MVLS volunteers, click here.

On October 28, 2020, at the “Celebrate Pro Bono Awards Ceremony, ” the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) honored the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland with the 2020 award for Special Project of the Year. The award was given for the Court’s efforts to establish the Telephone Debtor Assistance Project (TDAP), and states it is given in recognition of the Court’s “outstanding pro bono commitment to MVLS clients and the support of the launch of the TDAP project.” Additional information on the TDAP is available here.