United States District Court
District of Connecticut
FILED AT NEW HAVEN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
2021 - 16A
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
STANDING ORDER RE: Order of Succession for the Chief Judge of
the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of
Connecticut
In order to provide for the orderly succession to the
position of Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court
for the District of Connecticut, the Court hereby adopts these
provisions, which are largely consistent with the provisions
that govern designation of Chief United States District Judge as
set forth under 28 U.S.C. § 136. Specifically, it is now ordered
as follows:
1. The chief bankruptcy judge of the district shall be the
bankruptcy judge in regular active service who is senior in
commission of those judges who--
a) is sixty-four years of age or under;
b) has served for one year or more as a bankruptcy judge;
and
c) has not served previously as chief judge.
2. In any case in which no bankruptcy judge meets the
qualifications of paragraph (1), the youngest bankruptcy
judge in regular active service who is sixty-five years of
age or over and who has served as bankruptcy judge for one
year or more shall act as the chief bankruptcy judge until
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such time as another bankruptcy judge meets all the
qualifications for chief judge under paragraph (1).
3. In any case under paragraph (2) in which there is no
bankruptcy judge in regular active service who has served
as a bankruptcy judge for one year or more, the bankruptcy
judge in regular active service who is senior in commission
and who has not served previously as chief bankruptcy judge
shall act as the chief bankruptcy judge.
4. Except as provided in paragraph (6), the chief bankruptcy
judge of the district appointed under paragraph (1) shall
serve for a term of seven years and shall serve after
expiration of such term until another judge is eligible
under paragraph (1) to serve as chief bankruptcy judge of
the district.
5. Except as provided in paragraph (6), a bankruptcy judge
acting as chief bankruptcy judge under paragraph (3) or (4)
shall serve until a bankruptcy judge has been appointed who
meets the qualifications under paragraph (1).
6. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Chief United States
District Judge and the bankruptcy judges of the district,
no bankruptcy judge may serve or act as chief bankruptcy
judge of the district after attaining the age of seventy
years unless no other bankruptcy judge is qualified to
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serve as chief bankruptcy judge of the district under
paragraph (1) or is qualified to act as chief bankruptcy
judge under paragraph (2).
7. The chief bankruptcy judge shall have precedence and preside
at any session which he or she attends. Other bankruptcy
judges shall have precedence and preside according to the
seniority of their commissions. Judges whose commissions
bear the same date shall have precedence according to
seniority in age.
8. If the chief bankruptcy judge desires to be relieved of the
duties as chief bankruptcy judge while retaining active
status as bankruptcy judge, he or she may so certify to the
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the
District of Connecticut, and thereafter, the chief
bankruptcy judge of the district shall be such other
bankruptcy judge who is qualified to serve or act as chief
bankruptcy judge under paragraph (1).
9. If a chief bankruptcy judge is temporarily unable to perform
the duties as such, those duties shall be performed by the
bankruptcy judge in active service, present in the district
and able and qualified to act, who is next in precedence.
10. If the judges of the district court determine that a chief
bankruptcy judge will be unable to perform the duties of
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chief for a prolonged period of time, or that a chief
bankruptcy judge has not performed those duties in an
appropriate fashion, the district court shall remove the
chief bankruptcy judge, and replace that person with the
bankruptcy judge in active service, present in the
district, and able and qualified to act, who is next in
precedence.
SO ORDERED.
Dated at Bridgeport, Connecticut this 1st day of September
2021.
/s/ Stefan R. Underhill
Stefan R. Underhill
Chief United States District Judge
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