Court Tips

COURT CLERK’S OFFICE PRACTICE TIPS

Being an active and committed professional requires continuing education. With our up-to-date and relevant court tips, you will always be prepared with the most current news in your field.

Meet the Honorable Cecelia G. Morris

Judge Cecelia G. Morris received a B.S. from West Texas State University in 1968 and a J.D. from John Marshall Law School in 1977. She was appointed Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York in July 2000 and has been serving honestly and honorably for the last 14 years.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Clerk of Court for the Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York from December 1988 until her appointment to the bench in 2000. Judge Morris also served as Clerk of Court for the Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Georgia until moving to New York in February 1986

Before committing her life to the pursuit of justice, Judge Morris had a private law practice in Macon, Georgia from May 1981 until February 1986. She also served as an Assistant District Attorney, as the Administrator of the Civil Division Child Support Recover Unit, Griffin Judicial Circuit in Griffin, Georgia from September 1979 until starting her own practice.

Judge Morris also had a private law practice in Griffin, Georgia from October 1977 until January 1978 and served as a law clerk at Seay Sims & Park, now called Bolton & Park, in Griffin, Georgia in 1976.

Judge Morris has served as a trainer in many Mediation and Arbitration programs sponsored by the Federal Judicial Center, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the National Association of Security Dealer Regulation and Bankruptcy Court, Endispute Inc. and the Center for Public Resources Inc.

Judge Morris is an active participant in many bar outreach programs and has been honored to be the keynote speaker at several events, including the Federal Judicial Center’s Clerk of Court and Chief Deputies Conference, and the Weil Gotshal and Manges’ “Women @ Weil.”

» US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York

» Written Opinions of Note

» Local Rules

• Do not file a hard copy of petitions or schedules with the Court. A hard copy MUST be filed with the Trustee appointed in the case. Failure to serve the Trustee may result in the adjournment of the 342 Meeting.

• If the street and mailing address differ, enter the mailing address on ECF for the Address of Debtor.

• A certificate from an approved non-profit budget and credit counseling agency must be filed with any petition or an application for an extension of time due to exigent circumstances for credit counseling purposes.

• File all Form B22A Means Tests as separate documents – do not file them as part of petition and schedules.

• Do not file Form B21 Statement of Social Security Number as part of the petition and schedules. When it is necessary to file an amendment to the debtor’s SS#, an amended B-21 must be filed with the court. If an individual’s SS# must be included in a pleading, only the last four digits of the number should be used.

• Use the last four digits of financial accounts for Schedules D, E, and F.

• Only the initials and age of minor children should be disclosed on Schedule I.

• Debtor’s name, accompanied by a signature, must be on the filed ECF document and any amendments thereafter.

• A Corporation Ownership Statement must be filed by a debtor corporation filing a case and any corporate plaintiff filing a complaint to initiate an adversary proceeding.