What is the American Bankruptcy Institute?

The American Bankruptcy Institute refers to a nonpartisan research organization and association that provides education to bankruptcy professionals. ABI was founded in 1982 with its base in, Alexandria Virginia. The ABI consists of over 12,000 accountants, attorneys, judges, lenders, bankers among other bankruptcy professionals. It provides funding to scholars who do research about insolvency issues. It also offers consumer education via its online Consumer Bankruptcy Center.

A Little More on What is the American Bankruptcy Institute

  The American Bankruptcy Institute connects its members with the largest community insolvency professionals in the bankruptcy industry. The ABI helps its members to build a long-lasting relationship with their peers, partners, and colleagues. It also provides resourceful news and materials to help the members to succeed. The ABI is committed to ensuring that its members access quality continuing education, business development opportunities, and business development. 

What does ABI Do? 

ABI plays a major role in providing the general public as well as Congress leaders with non-partisan analysis and reporting of bankruptcy regulations, trends, and laws. For instance, ABI can be summoned to analyze proposed legislation, testify before the Congress, and carry out periodic briefings for legislative staff and congressional committees. The other role of ABI is to ensure that it maintains an informational website, publishes books, provides information to journalists. It also publishes its ABI journal ten times each year as well as its ABI Law Review two times a year. In addition, it holds national and regional conferences that offer continuing education. ABI has the commitment to serve its members with exclusive conferences, effective legal research, comprehensive continuing education, and dynamic networking opportunities. However, it is worth noting that the ABI does not lobby Congress.   

American Bankruptcy Institute Membership

The American Bankruptcy Institute has various categories of membership. They are as follows:

1. General: This membership is for those employees who work in for-profit entities. The registration fee for this category is $350.
2. Government/Non-profit/Professor: this membership is for individuals such as professors, fulltime government employees, and credit counseling employees. The membership registration fee for this category is $125.
3. International: This includes online membership for those individuals residing outside North America as well as the Caribbean. The membership fee for this category is $125.
4. Legal Resource Professional: This category is for people like librarians, virtual bankruptcy assistant, and full-time paralegals. The membership fee is $125.
5. Student: This category accommodates individuals such as full-time law students. Its membership fee is $20. It is important to note that for this type of membership, ABI reserves the right to do verification as far as enrolment, class attendance, and expected graduation date is concerned.
6. First Year Postgraduate: This membership category is for students who graduated last year. Its membership fee is $50. Under this category, the ABI reserves the right to verify the graduation date.
7. Second Year Post Graduate: This membership is for those individuals who graduated within the last 2 years. ABI reserves the right to verify the graduation date.

Related Topics

• Bankruptcy Law (Intro)
• What is Bankruptcy?
• Insolvency - Definition
• What are the types of business bankruptcy?
• Chapter 9 Bankruptcy 
• Chapter 12 Bankruptcy
• Chapter 15 Bankruptcy 
• Who are the participants in the bankruptcy process?
• Key concepts behind the bankruptcy process?
• Absolute Priority Rule
• Pari Passu
• What rules govern the bankruptcy process?
• Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act
• American Bankruptcy Institute Definition
• What the authority of the bankruptcy court?
• What is the authority of the trustee (debtor in possession) in bankruptcy?
• Debtor in Possession
• What assets of the debtor are included in the bankruptcy estate?
• Bulk Sales Law
• What is the automatic stay in bankruptcy?
• What is a claim by creditors of the bankruptcy estate?
• What is voluntary and involuntary bankruptcy?
• What is the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process?
• What is the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process?
• How to File Bankruptcy for a Business
• Accept or reject contracts?
• Avoiding powers?
• Stay of Proceeding?
• Use of Business Assets?
• Post-Petition Financing?
• Bankruptcy Financing - Definition
• What is the appointment of a Trustee or Examiner in business bankruptcies?
• What is a Plan of Reorganization?
• Reorganization - Definition
• Subordinated Debt
• Preferred Debt
• What is Cramdown of a reorganization plan? 
• To what extent does the bankruptcy process relieve a debtor's debts?