NACBA's 34th Annual Convention: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

Welcome Remarks

Friday April 10, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am EDT

Speakers

Richard H. Nemeth

Co-Managing Partner, Nemeth & Perry, LLC

Mr. Nemeth has been representing consumers and small businesses in bankruptcy proceedings in Northern Ohio and elsewhere for over 30 years. In April, 2013 Mr. Nemeth was the first recipient of the NACBA Hammes-Shulman Award for his significant achievements in legislative advocacy... Read More →

Friday April 10, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary

9:15am EDT

Keynote Speaker: Richard Dubois, Executive Director, National Consumer Law Center

Friday April 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Speakers

Richard Dubois

Executive Director, National Consumer Law Center

Richard Dubois, Executive Director, National Consumer Law CenterRichard Dubois has been Executive Director of the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) since 2016. During his tenure, NCLC has continued to be the preeminent advocacy organization for low-income consumers and has grown considerably: NCLC currently has a staff of 65, including more... Read More →

Friday April 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary

10:30am EDT

Legislative Update and Rules Update

Friday April 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

This program offers a comprehensive overview of the most current developments in bankruptcy legislation and federal bankruptcy rules updates. We will discuss the impact of upcoming legislations, efforts to favorably amend state exemption statutes, and the newly styled federal rules of bankruptcy procedure to take effect in December 2025.

Speakers

Ed Boltz

Partner, Law Offices of John T. Orcutt PC

Mr. Boltz received his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993 and his J.D. from George Washington University in 1996. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, where he has been certified as a specialist in consumer bankruptcy law. He is admitted to practice before... Read More →

Ike Shulman

Shulman Law Offices

In 1992, Ike Shulman led the effort to organize the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys ("NACBA") to provide consumer debtors with an effective voice in the legislative process. Mr. Shulman was elected NACBA’s first president, and served in that position through... Read More →

Krista D'Amelio

Director of Government Affairs & Communications, NACBA

Krista D’Amelio joined NACBA in April 2017 as Director of Government Affairs and Communications. D’Amelio's work focuses on strengthening relationships and increasing advocacy reach with state and federal elected officials, government agencies, and allies to enhance their understanding... Read More →

Friday April 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary, Legislation, Advocacy

10:30am EDT

Paralegal to Practice Manager to Attorney: Career Growth

Friday April 10, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Independence Ballroom

Leadership skills
Delegation & training junior staff
Law Firm's Role in Supporting Career Advancement

Speakers

Michael Gouveia

Owner, Law Office of Michael Gouveia

Michael Gouveia represents consumer debtors in Riverside, California. This is the fourth time
that he has presented at the NACBA Convention.
Mike teaches newer attorneys as the mentoring chair for the Central District Consumer
Bankruptcy Attorney Association in Los Angeles, CA and a... Read More →

Michelle Alston

Michelle L.P. Alston ([email protected]) is the firm’s bankruptcy and litigation paralegal. She has been a paralegal for over 32 years, 25 of them with David Madoff. Ms. Alston has worked as a bankruptcy paralegal for Cohn Khoury Madoff & Whitesell LLP in Boston; Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP and Jillian... Read More →

Cynthia Ravosa

Managing Attorney, Massachusetts Bankruptcy Center

Cynthia R. Ravosa is the Managing Attorney of the firm’s Bankruptcy practice.In addition to earning her law degree from Massachusetts School of Law at Andover in 2016, she earned her B.A. fromWestern New England College, and she also holds an M.B.A. degree with a concentration inaccounting... Read More →

Friday April 10, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Independence Ballroom

Plenary, Legislation, Advocacy

11:00am EDT

Case Law Update

Friday April 10, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Speakers

John Rao

Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center, Inc.

John RaoNational Consumer Law Center, Inc.
Attorney
Boston MA 02110-1245

John Rao is a senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, Inc. focusing on consumer credit, mortgage servicing, and bankruptcy issues. Mr. Rao has served as a panelist and instructor at numerous bankruptcy and consumer law conferences, has served as an expert witness... Read More →

Henry Sommer

Henry J. Sommer has litigated many major cases involving bankruptcy, consumer law, civil rights and other issues. Previously, he was the head of the Consumer Law Project at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, where he worked for over 21 years and Supervising Attorney at the... Read More →

Friday April 10, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary, Caselaw Update

9:00am EDT

Ethics for Paralegals

Saturday April 11, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Independence Ballroom

Avoiding UPL
Confidentiality & communication rules

Speakers

Tara Salinas

Managing Attorney, Salinas Law Group, LLC

Tara Gaschler Salinas is the founder and managing attorney of Salinas Law Group LLC in Denver, Colorado. Her practice focuses on consumer Chapter 7 & 13 bankruptcy and litigation, as well as student loan law. She founded her law firm in 2003 and has handled hundreds of personal and... Read More →

Kim Gilbert

Office Manager, Law Office of John T. Orcutt, P.C.

Kim Gilbert is the dedicated Office Manager at the Law Office of John T. Orcutt, P.C., where she has proudly served for 33 years, guiding the firm’s impressive growth from a single-attorney office to a thriving practice of thirteen attorneys. Her leadership and operational expertise... Read More →

Danielle Gaines

Quality Control Manager, Allmand Law Firm, PLLC

Danielle Gaines is a seasoned legal professional with over seven years of experience as a paralegal in bankruptcy law. As a key leader at Allmand Law Firm, Danielle blends her deep paralegal expertise with strong operations and people management skills to drive efficiency, clien... Read More →

Saturday April 11, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Independence Ballroom

Plenary, Paralegal

9:00am EDT

Views from the Bench

Saturday April 11, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Speakers

Jenny Doling

Tax & Bankruptcy Attorney | NACBA Vice President | NACBA Board Member, J. DOLING LAW, PC

Jenny L. Doling is the Vice President of NACBA. She has served on its Board of Directors since 2018. Before serving on the Board, she was the NACBA State Chair for California. Ms. Doling is a California State Bar Certified Bankruptcy Specialist and a staunch advocate for Consume... Read More →

Hon. Elizabeth Gunn

Bankruptcy Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Columbia

Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn was appointed to serve as bankruptcy judge for the District of Columbia on September 4, 2020. A COVID-era selection and appointment, she was sworn in by Zoom from her living room. Before her appointment, Judge Gunn served as an Assistant Attorney General for... Read More →

Hon. Joan Feeney (Ret.)

Hon. Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2019 following almost 27 years on the bench of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts and 23 years as a member of the United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the First Circuit. As a judge, Judge Feeney presided over a full range of... Read More →

Saturday April 11, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary, Judges

11:00am EDT

AI, Automation, and Ethics: The Future of Law Practice Under the Code

Sunday April 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

As AI tools, automation, and document generators become mainstream, bankruptcy attorneys must understand where convenience ends and ethical risk begins. This session explores issues of confidentiality, accuracy, unauthorized practice, and client consent in a rapidly changing digital environment — including the do’s and don’ts of using AI to draft filings, letters, and marketing materials.

Speakers

Jenny Doling

Tax & Bankruptcy Attorney | NACBA Vice President | NACBA Board Member, J. DOLING LAW, PC

Hon. Elizabeth Gunn

Bankruptcy Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Columbia

Sunday April 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

Plenary, Ethics

9:00am EDT

9:15am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

11:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

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