NCBJ Public Outreach Award

Bankruptcy Judges and courts routinely engage in important public outreach efforts.  Those efforts include financial literacy classes, pro bono assistance projects, Constitution and Citizenship Day events, naturalization ceremonies, bankruptcy law education for state court judges, and civics education programs.  In 2018, the NCBJ established the annual Public Outreach Award to increase judges’ awareness of those efforts and to honor individual bankruptcy judges and courts for outstanding work.

The Award recognizes public outreach achievements of individual NCBJ members and bankruptcy courts. The award recipient(s) will be selected by the Public Outreach Committee based on nominations received from NCBJ members.  Qualifying public outreach activities and programs include those related to community service, civics or court system education, and bankruptcy or financial education. Past recipients and some of their activities include:

  • 2025 – Hon. Vincent P. Zurzolo, U.S. Bankruptcy Court C.D. Calif., (established the Los Angeles Self Help Desk, greatly expanding access to justice; helped create the Debtor Assistance Project providing representation and guidance to unrepresented litigants, which led the first on-site pro bono clinic in the district; assisted in forming the Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Committee, bringing together judges, trustees, court staff and pro bono programs to improve public service; and collaborated on DOJ student loan guidance procedures to streamline relief for debtors).
  • 2024 – Hon. Laurel Isicoff, U.S. Bankruptcy Court S.D. Fla., (created pro bono honor roll for attorneys who represent pro se debtors facilitated by enacting a local rule that provides CLE credit for such representation, assisted pro bono committee of the Court to develop a Help Desk program to assist pro se parties, assisted in creation of online resource to make it easier for lawyers to participate in pro bono activities; instituted Chief Judge’s Pro Bono Bankruptcy Award; spearheaded creation of a Veteran’s Financial Literacy Program; active participation in law school clinics and high school CARE programs).
  • 2023 – Hon. Laura K. Grandy, U.S. Bankruptcy Court S.D. Ill,, (co-sponsoring an annual district-wide art contest for High School student who are invited to submit artwork or poetry on a court related theme, conducting naturalization ceremonies at local high schools that incorporate lesson plans on the optic of naturalization; tutoring low income students and underwriting a yearly opening date (baseball) tailgate for staff at a local community center to help fund projects including holiday parties for low income children and presents for children in the care of the Department of Family Services)
  • 2022 – Hon. John E. Waites, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, DSC (working to promote DEI within NCBJ and Roadways to the Bench, started an Ask-A-Lawyer and pro se assistance program to provide answers to bankruptcy questions and counseling to pro se debtors, continued to promote the pro bono programs and created an email/fax filing program for pro se filers; started CARE program in South Carolina) and Hon. John E. Hoffman, Jr., U.S. Bankruptcy Court S.D. Ohio (created a bankruptcy pro bono program for the SD of Ohio and a by-pass clinic to assist those who may not need to file bankruptcy relief from creditor calls)
  • 2021 – Hon. Catherine Peek McEwen, U.S. Bankruptcy Court M.D. Fla. (started the Tampa division CARE program, wrote and directed a widely-used video on bankruptcy basics, started Tampa pro bono bankruptcy clinic, obtained Diversity Grant to organize Pathways to the Bankruptcy Bench program)
  • 2020 – Hon. Margaret Mann, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, C.D. Calif. (establishing a Pro Bono program, and working on a financial literacy program for people on probation) and Hon. Tracey N. Wise, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Ky. (significant time on CARES program and the NCBJ Elder Care program)
  • 2019 – Hon. Jeffery A. Deller, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Penn. (multiple outreach programs to school districts, to foreign visitors, and hosted a Celebration for Liberty and Justice for All day)
  • 2018 – Hon. Sandra R. Klein, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, C.D. Calif. (is co-leader of a Girl Scout troop for homeless girls, works with law school to feed homeless, and co-host of a high school civics contest)