Alexandria, Va.— The following statement was issued by ABI President Hon. Barbara Houser (U.S Bankruptcy Court (N.D. Tex.); Dallas):

“The recent senseless deaths of black Americans have brought to light the systemic, ongoing and deep-rooted issues our beloved country has with race. I know my outrage over these recent events is shared by ABI members, staff and the entire insolvency community, but is felt most deeply by our black friends, colleagues and family members. ABI stands against racism and is committed to professionalism, equality and diversity.

ABI's Diversity and Inclusion Working Group was put in place in 2018 to address issues with diversity, including racial diversity, within ABI, its leadership and our industry. I thought it important at this time to share with you an update from ABI Diversity and Inclusion Working Group Co-chair Michael Bernstein on the efforts of this group to date.”

Click here to read the report.

“There is much we need to do to improve racial diversity and inclusion in our country and in our profession. ABI is committed to maintaining an open dialogue on these issues.”

Judge Houser encourages practitioners to reach out to her, ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss, or Bernstein if they have thoughts or ideas on how ABI can further its diversity and inclusion initiatives. For those interested, please contact ABI Public Affairs Officer John Hartgen at 703-894-5935 or [email protected].

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 11,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abi.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.