President’s Message

Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Bankruptcy Community,

Some years ask something of us. This year gives us something rare: a reason to celebrate. In 2026, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges marks its 100th anniversary, a century of judicial scholarship, professional fellowship, and steadfast commitment to the administration of justice. At the same time, our nation observes its 250th year. These twin milestones are a fitting backdrop for what promises to be the most meaningful Annual Conference in our history, and I write to you today with a personal and heartfelt invitation to join us in San Diego, California, October 7–10, 2026.

At the center of everything we do is education, and San Diego 2026 will be no exception. Our program committee has worked with exceptional care to assemble a curriculum that is rigorous, relevant, and forward-looking. From the pressing questions reshaping commercial and consumer practice today, to the deeper jurisprudential discussions that have always distinguished NCBJ programming, attendees will find substantive, high-caliber sessions worthy of the milestone year we are marking. Whether you are a bankruptcy judge, a practitioner, an academic, or a policy professional, the education we offer in San Diego will be well worth your time.

The 2026 conference will once again bring together bankruptcy judges from across the country and beyond, alongside the full breadth of the bankruptcy law community, practitioners, scholars, trustees, and advocates, who make this gathering what it is. We are proud of the deep and enduring partnerships NCBJ has built with bar associations, legal organizations, and practitioners’ groups throughout the profession. This conference is, in every sense, a reflection of those relationships.

We welcome all of you.

There are few cities in the country that so naturally invite both focused professional engagement and genuine renewal. With its extraordinary climate, stunning harbor, world-class dining, and a walkable, vibrant downtown, San Diego offers a setting that makes the spaces between sessions just as rewarding as the sessions themselves. Whether you are sharing a meal along the waterfront, exploring the Gaslamp Quarter with colleagues, or simply stepping outside into the Pacific sunshine between programs, San Diego has a way of lifting the spirit. We designed this conference to take full advantage of that: balancing a rich, substantive educational program with abundant opportunity for the kind of thoughtful, unhurried conversation that makes our profession stronger.

One hundred years ago, a small group of bankruptcy judges came together with a shared belief: that the work of the courts is strengthened when those who carry it out come together, learn from one another, and build something larger than any one of them. That belief has carried this organization forward through a century of change, and it is the same belief that will fill the rooms in San Diego this October. I hope you will be among us.

Registration is open. Make your plans early. We look forward to welcoming you to San Diego — and to celebrating, together, everything this community has meant to American justice over the past 100 years.

With warm regards and in anticipation of a truly historic gathering,

The Honorable Paul Black
President, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges
United States Bankruptcy Judge