December 19, 2008

BU Law welcomes Russian Judges for a discussion of bankruptcy systems

On December 11, judges from the Russian Federation visited BU Law as part of a delegation to the United States exploring Russian and American consumer bankruptcy systems. Their stop at BU Law included an informal discussion on the two countries’ bankruptcy laws with Dean Maureen O’Rourke, faculty and students.

“The lunch and roundtable discussion is a result of Dean O'Rourke graciously agreeing to host a discussion so the Russian Delegation can learn about consumer bankruptcy law through an open dialogue with knowledgeable people from the field,” said a representative of Judge Joan Feeney. Feeney is hosting these Russian judges who will be helping to write the new consumer bankruptcy law in their country.

Director of the Graduate Tax Program, Professor Daniel Berman attended the discussion. He said he thought this experience was an especially interesting one for students who attended the event. “They don’t often have the opportunity to meet with a delegation of Russian judges.”

Mariya Deryugina (’10) said she found the talk thought-provoking. A student from Kiev, Ukraine, Deryugina speaks Russian – many of the judges spoke through a translator who accompanied them.

“I was curious to hear what they had to say about their experiences with the Russian legal system: how well it's functioning, what they are trying to reform, what they believe functions well,” she said. “Currently there is no system for natural persons to file for bankruptcy in Russia; only corporations are able to file. A lot of discussion focused on whether the United States bankruptcy code would function in the same manner in Russia as it does in the U.S.”

Kristopher Natoli (’10), another student at the event, also found the Russian judges’ task intriguing. “It is rare that legal practitioners get to write on a blank slate. As U.S. law students, we are usually studying laws and institutions that have a long history. This panel of Russian judges gets to influence the crafting of a legal regime free of history's restraints. The potential such an opportunity presents is both exciting and daunting,” he said.

During the talk, BU Law representatives and the Russian judges spoke on their views and encounters with their country’s respective laws. Students gained insight into a foreign legal system, and the judges took away new information for their own endeavor in drafting new laws.