Oct. 17, 2005, is almost upon us as the day when the vast majority of the new law becomes effective. The amount of information that we must incorporate into our respective practices makes us feel more like Phinaeus Fogg than insolvency professionals. It's truly like going "Around the Code in [1]80 Days."

To prepare our members for the sweeping changes, ABI has included programs regarding the revisions in each of our educational programs, including programs that occurred less than two weeks after BAPCPA became law. We launched our Webinar Series so our members can learn conveniently from their offices and while they also watch part of the program on the Web. The Web-based portion is available to be streamed so our members can absorb the information on a schedule that fits today's hectic pace. This will continue through the next few months and beyond, since we must all learn the law and, most importantly, how to apply it to help our clients.

While our programs are very visible, a key part of what ABI offers to its members is quietly being updated as well. Our publications catalog, listing all publications that ABI provides to members and nonmembers alike, currently includes more than 20 publications with even more to be added. The great majority of our publications are currently being updated and/or rewritten to include sections on the changes to keep ABI on the cutting edge. While the people leading the charge to update these essential publications are not usually as visible to our members as those who work on our many programs, their work is still important to all of us.

ABI's Communications Department handles the editing, layout, printing and marketing for our publications and is led by Melissa Lanning Trumpower. Melissa's phenomenal staff keeps things moving like clockwork. Carolyn Kanon handles the ABI Journal with the aid of Communications Assistant Courtney Reyers, while our Online Technology Manager, Karim Guirguis, oversees the ABI World web site with the help of Web Assistants Erica Peterson and John Yuda. Our award-winning graphics designer, Susan Druzak, creates the covers for all of our monographs and also expertly handles the graphic design for all of the meetings brochures you receive. From the volunteer side, John Ames serves as our Vice President-Publications, and Reggie Jackson is the Executive Editor of the Journal. Our Web Editorial Board is led by Executive Editor Joe Bodoff and Assistant Executive Editor Hon. Lee Jackwig.

Few people understand the sheer magnitude of the jobs that each of these talented people undertake on a daily basis. Having previously been the Vice President-Publications, I not only understand how difficult their jobs are, but appreciate the excellence that each brings to our organization.

For the 18 monographs that we have in print, as well as the dozen or so that we have in one stage or another of production, Melissa and Sam Gerdano each review the manuscript and provide editorial comments and changes. Once the editorial changes have been reviewed and approved our Communications staff begin laying out the monographs. John Ames monitors the authors' progress so we can maintain an even flow of material coming into, and going out from, the Communications Department.

All members receive the Journal 10 times each year. Reviewing any edition will give you a better feel for how separate authors provide articles for each issue. No other professional organization dealing with bankruptcy and insolvency issues can compare with the quantity and quality of work that goes into the Journal. After the articles are received, Carolyn Kanon edits for grammar and style and then sends the articles on to Reggie Jackson, John Ames and one rotating associate editor of the Journal Editorial Board for even more editing, this time for content. This round of editing is more demanding than any we call upon our members to perform because it must be completed within four days and returned—regardless of whatever else is going on in our editors' practices or lives at that time. The dedication shown by the editors to timely return edited articles for the Journals, some of which have topped 100 pages, is absolutely incredible.

ABI World has received a number of awards and recognitions for both its design and content. Perhaps its least-known feature is the search tool that allows users to perform keyword searches that pull from the more than 100,000 searchable documents on the site, including ABI publications, program materials from past ABI conferences, bankruptcy opinions, circuit case updates, bankruptcy headlines, legislative analyses, articles and much more. An advanced search allows users to search by topic, source and content type. This makes it the premier site for bankruptcy and insolvency research in the world—and it's available for each of our members as an important member benefit. Our site allows our members to stay abreast of current developments in Washington, D.C., as well as the insolvency world as a whole. During the height of the action in Congress, we experienced unprecedented volumes of traffic. The number of pages viewed during April rivaled those of the general news sites. None of this could be accomplished without the dedication and productivity of those providing the content for ABI World and our members. It is quite a statement of dedication to realize that approximately 350 of our members volunteered their time and talents during the past year to make our publications the most comprehensive in the insolvency arena. Each of our members working on our publications deserves both our appreciation and admiration for a job well done.