The Honorable Thomas B. Bennett
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama
Judge Thomas B. Bennett serves as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Alabama in Birmingham and was appointed in June, 1995. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Judge Bennett received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in economics, as well as his J.D., from West Virginia University. Following graduation from law school in 1976, he was a law clerk for the Hon. John R. Brown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth circuit. Judge Bennett’s primary areas of practice were bankruptcy, including bankruptcy related litigation, and commercial litigation. He has lectured frequently on bankruptcy and commercial law issues. From 1980 until his appointment he was a partner with the law firm of Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love, PLLC in its Charleston, WV office, where he was head of the firm’s bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and commercial litigation practice group. He is licensed to practice law in West Virginia and Texas.
Judge Bennett serves on the editorial advisory board of the American Bankruptcy Law Journal, as a peer reviewer for articles submitted to the ABLJ, and is the business manager of the ABLJ. Since 1996, he has also served as chairperson and member of various standing and ad hoc committees and currently serves as president of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ). The 82nd annual meeting of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges over which he presides meets this year at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, from September 24th to 27th, 2008. For more information on the NCBJ and the conference click here
On December 24, 2007 Judge Bennett testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee for hearings on the current mortgage foreclosure crisis. For a copy of his written testimony click here and written responses to questions from the Committee click here .
Judge Bennett’s wife, the former Lisa Gerwig of South Charleston, WV is also a graduate of West Virginia University. They have two daughters; one will graduate from the University of Arizona this May with a B.Sc. in economics and a B.A. in Spanish, and the other is currently a freshman at Brown University.