For our second session of Christian Thoughts-in-Progress, we are joined by Nicholas Moore, a 3L student at Penn Carey Law, for his presentation, “‘[W]hat credit is that to you?’ Perspectives from American Bankruptcy Law.”
Read Nick's abstract below:
"The corporate bankruptcy and restructuring bar is among the most creative, lucrative, prestigious, dismal, and hated professions on Wall Street. At a basic level, bankruptcy attorneys assist companies (or their creditors) to find a way out of distress through either a court-administered bankruptcy process or an out-of-court restructuring process. Phrased in coarser terms, bankruptcy attorneys are responsible for finding the least-bad way to get out of dumpster fire situations where everyone considers themselves an apex predator. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the style of legal practice that emerges from this context tends towards intensity and aggression.
I am a soon-to-be-graduating law student planning to practice restructuring law. In this Christian Thoughts-in-Progress session, I will present a high-level account of how corporate bankruptcy developed in the United States, how it operates to support the integrity of the financial and real economies today, and the complicated relationship that lending, borrowing, and bankruptcy have with the Christian tradition.
My goal is to use this presentation as a springboard for us to discuss open questions (both doctrinal and normative) in debt finance and bankruptcy law in a way that is accessible for non-lawyers. Why is it that debt has become so critical to our lives today anyway? Is the bankruptcy system too protective of debtors, creating moral hazard by inviting imprudent risk-taking? Can a Christian really be a corporate lawyer in good faith?"
Date: Friday, October 30 (12:00 - 1:00 PM). Lunch will be provided for all attendees.
Location: PRRUCS Space, Fox-Fels Leadership Hall (3814 Walnut St, University City Philadelphia)
To RSVP, please fill out the form below.