Views From the Bench

Sunday, May 22nd , 9:45 am – 11:00 am

Hon. Fredrick E. Clement

United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California
Fresno, CA

Fredrick E. Clement is a United States Bankruptcy Judge seated in the Eastern District of California. Prior to appointment, he represented consumers and small to mid-sized businesses before the Eastern and Northern District Bankruptcy Courts. He holds the designation of Certified Specialist, Bankruptcy Law, from The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Judge Clement is a former Commissioner to the Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California. A regular lecturer on insolvency and bankruptcy, he has addressed the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute, the Sacramento Valley Bankruptcy Forum, and the Central California Bankruptcy Association. Admitted to the State Bar of California in 1987, Mr. Clement is an honors graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law. He maintains chambers and resides in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley.

Hon. Frederick P. Corbit

United States Bankruptcy Court, East District of Washington
Chief Bankruptcy Judge
Spokane, WA

Bankruptcy Judge Frederick P. Corbit was sworn in on September 19, 2013 as a bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of Washington. His courtroom and home are in Spokane. Immediately prior to going on the bench, Judge Corbit practiced law at the Northwest Justice Project (“NJP”). NJP provides civil legal services to persons of limited financial means. Prior to joining NJP in 2007, he was a shareholder in the Seattle office of a large national law firm, and represented many companies and individuals in connection with issues related to the acquisitions and sales of businesses, creditor/debtor matters, and business litigation. He is a frequent lecturer on legal matters and has published numerous articles in legal journals. Judge Corbit received his undergraduate degree from University of Washington and his law degree from UCLA School of Law. He was a law clerk to the Honorable Kenneth S. Treadwell, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Washington.

Hon. Jim D. Pappas

Judge Pappas is a graduate of Idaho State University and the University of Idaho College of Law in 1977. Prior to his appointment, Judge Pappas practiced throughout the Northwest in the area of commercial and banking law, and all aspects of bankruptcy law representing debtors, creditors, committees and trustees in proceedings under all chapters of the Bankruptcy Code. He was a founder and is a past chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Idaho State Bar.

Judge Pappas was appointed to the bench in 1990, and was reappointed to a second term in 2004. He served as Idaho’s Chief Bankruptcy Judge from 1993 to 2004. Judge Pappas served on the Ninth Circuit’s Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, a court that reviews decisions made by other bankruptcy courts throughout the Western United States from 2005-2015, serving as Chief Judge from 2010-2013.

Judge Pappas is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, a member of the Board of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy, and served as an Associate Editor of the American Bankruptcy Law Journal. By appointment of the Chief Justice, from 2003-2009, Judge Pappas served on the Bankruptcy Judges Education Committee of the Federal Judicial Center designing educational programs for all bankruptcy judges. Judge Pappas lectures and writes extensively concerning bankruptcy law, as well as teaches at the University of Idaho College of Law.