Ninth Circuit Reappoints Three Former California Bankruptcy Attorneys Now Judges to Northern California Bankruptcy Court

SAN FRANCISCO — Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has announced the reappointment of three judges to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, which stretches from Monterey to the Oregon border. The reappointees are: • Judge James R. Grube, effective Aug. 12, 2002. Judge Grube, who maintains chambers in San Jose, has been active in court efforts to improve docket management and reduce cost and delays. He also was involved in the development of a telephonic appearance system that allows attorneys to appear by telephone for most routine matters. He is a frequent participant in programs sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the California Bankruptcy Forum, and others, and serves on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Education Committee. Prior to his first appointment in 1988, he had been a partner in Campeau & Grube, a San Jose law firm specializing in bankruptcy law. He earned his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University, and his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

• Judge Marilyn Morgan, effective June 16, 2002. Judge Morgan, who maintains chambers in San Jose, is a frequent participant in programs sponsored by the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum, the California Bankruptcy Forum, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, and others. She is a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. She is a former lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, and a past president of the Santa Clara County Bar Association Law Foundation. Prior to her first appointment, she had practiced bankruptcy law with the San Jose firm of Morgan & Towery. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees at Emory University.

• Judge Leslie J. Tchaikovsky, effective April 14, 2002. Judge Tchaikovsky, who maintains chambers in Oakland, serves on the judicial committee overseeing the bankruptcy court’s transition to electronic case filing. She has been an active member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, including chairing its bylaws committee and serving as a governor for the Ninth Circuit. She also was a member and chair of the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Education Committee. Prior to her appointment in 1988, she had been a partner in the former San Francisco law firm of Dinkelspiel, Donovan & Reder. She earned her undergraduate degree from California State University at Hayward, and her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

The judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit are charged with the statutory responsibility for selecting and appointing the 68 bankruptcy judges in the nine western states that comprise the Ninth Circuit. The court uses a comprehensive merit selection process for the initial appointment and for the reappointment of bankruptcy judges. Bankruptcy judges serve for 14-year, renewable terms, at a salary of $133,492, and handle all bankruptcy-related matters under the Bankruptcy Code.