Our History
By Hon. Robert Jacobvitz, District of New Mexico
The NCBJ’s Formation
Although 2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (“NCBJ”), formerly known as the National Association of Referees in Bankruptcy (“NARB”), NARB’s formation in 1926 was…
The World War II Years
On December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Japanese destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels, including 8…
Referees’ Salary Act of 1946
One of the goals of the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 was to prevent excessive fees and expenses, which had been a major complaint against previous bankruptcy laws. Under the 1898…
NARB Changes its Name
At its 1965 annual meeting, NARB revised its constitution and changed its name to the National Conference of Referees in Bankruptcy (“NCRB”) “as being more appropriate to its membership and…
The American Bankruptcy Law Journal and NCBJ Conference News
In 1971, the academic and news aspects of the Journal of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Referees were separated into two publications: the American Bankruptcy Law Journal (“ABLJ”) and the…
1980s − Marathon and its Aftermath
The span from 1980 to 1990 was a tumultuous time for the bankruptcy system in the United States and for bankruptcy judges. In 1978 Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Reform Act…