Running with Scissors and Playing Well with Others

By Professor Michaela White, Editor and Advisor of the NACTT Academy

I grew up in the era of individual academic achievement and happily settled on a career that allows me to work largely alone. A recent article in the Sunday New York Times, “The Rise of the New Groupthink,” by Susan Cain, articulates the frustration I experienced as a parent while my son and daughter attended grammar school and high school. It also makes me grateful for my career as a law school professor.  It validated my own observations of what has become fashionable in education and in business: the group project for kids and endless business meeting and group projects for grown-ups.

It’s been my observation that extroverts are more highly admired and even more valued than introverts both at play and at work. Before we go on, it is important to make sure we are all on the same page on a working definition of introvert and extrovert.  The best distinction I have been able to come up with is that introverts recharge their batteries by being alone and extroverts by being with others. Shyness has nothing to do with it.  Many introverts are at least as highly skilled at social interaction as extroverts. Introverts need alone time to do their best work. Extroverts formulate their best ideas in a group.  Introverts like privacy and by that I mean real offices with doors!  They need quiet time to be creative and find brainstorming sessions to be less than helpful, in fact rather exhausting. Working in an open office space arrangement and constant noise and interruption is my version of death by a thousand paper cuts.

As bankruptcy professionals, it is important to reflect on the nature of our co-workers and ourselves.  We should consider the best way to harness our co-workers’ skill sets and avoid the assumption that our style is necessarily that of others. Is there a way to give your introverts some alone time and privacy?  Is there a way to capture the extroverts’ gift of thinking out loud and in groups?

Susan Cain’s article is an easy way to start. Ms. Cain also has a new book coming out called, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking.” I will let you know when it is available for purchase.  This leads to my next plea: support the Academy by using our website to purchase ANYTHING through Amazon.com.  The Academy receives a small percentage from each sale, but only if you access Amazon through the Academy’s link.


Professor of Law, Michaela White received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976, and her Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, in 1979 from Creighton University, where she was on the Creighton Law Review Editorial Staff and a member of the Moot Court Honors Board. She was law clerk to The Honorable Donald R. Ross of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and for The Honorable Fallon Kelly of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She practiced law in Minnesota from 1980-1983, and then served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Nebraska Department of Justice. Prof. White joined Creighton after serving for six years as a Professor of Law at McGeorge School of Law. Most recently, Prof. White authored the book, When Worlds Collide: Bankruptcy and Domestic Relations Law, 4th Ed. (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2010).


No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

Related Articles

Relyea
July 28, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force across various industries, including legal practice, where it offers numerous advantages and some challenges. This article explores the different types of AI, its potential uses in bankruptcy law, and the necessary precautions attorneys must take to avoid ethical pitfalls.
Members
Hale-Andrew-Antico
December 11, 2022
Intro: What is a Fulton ruling? When Chicago v Fulton (In re Fulton), 141 S Ct. 585 (Sup Ct, 2021) was first decided by the Supreme Court, there was a consensus among bankruptcy attorneys that the erosion of the automatic stay with regard to turnover was only about cars. That is, Fulton was a narrow ruling that was only about...
Members
boltz2
March 17, 2024
“In response to Cathy Moran’s article from last week: Tracking Down the Illusive Mortgage Interest Deduction, I have a few questions to raise-“
Members
William-1_print_2019
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a plan proposal to create an asbestos trust through Chapter 11 bankruptcy was “insurance neutral,” and the debtor’s insurer was not a party in interest under Code § 1109(b), which contains a noncomprehensive list of parties in interest to a Chapter 11 case. Whether the insurer was a party in interest determined whether...
November 8, 2020
By James J. Robinson, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Alabama When do the trustee’s duties end, and who gets the money? Harris v. Viegelahn, 135 S. Ct. 1829 (2015). This opinion of the unanimous Court requires the trustee to return to the debtor undistributed plan payments—originating from wages earned postpetition—on hand at a good-faith, post-confirmation conversion rather...
Members
August 2, 2020
By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Undistributed funds returned to debtor upon dismissal. Under § 1327(b)’s vesting requirement, unless a confirmed plan provides otherwise, any undistributed funds held by the trustee at dismissal of the case must be returned to the debtor. Although not necessary to rely on § 347(b)(3), the conclusion on effect of vesting at confirmation was...
Members
Molly Pro picture
November 3, 2024
Attorney Michael McCormick took the win when Judge Cavender of the Northern District of Georgia held nothing back in an October 2024 reported decision. The Judge made his feelings well known as he assessed and described the history of this Mortgage Claim/Lender and this abusive Debtor’s past and ongoing behaviors.
Members
March 28, 2021
By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Junior mortgage lienholder not affected by modifications of senior mortgage. Under Pennsylvania law, the prepetition modification of terms of the senior mortgage had recapitalized interest and costs already owed but had not created new liabilities. As a result, the junior mortgage holder was not materially prejudiced. The Chapter 13 debtors could avoid the...
Members
June 7, 2020
By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) HAVEN Act applied to modification when plan was confirmed prior to Act becoming law. The debtor proposed a plan modification deleting from disposable income $1,789 monthly VA disability benefits. First concluding that the HAVEN Act was applicable law at time of this decision, nothing in the Act, its legislative history or the Official...
Members
beskin
October 22, 2023
Upon this auspicious occasion, seeing before us this eloquence of attorneys, let us recount the mighty deeds of one Herbert Lee Beskin. WHEREAS, Herbert was born and began his legal career in the last century (or we presume); and WHEREAS, a double Hoo, Herbert graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in 1972, and stayed in Charlottesville to...

Looking to Become a Member?

ConsiderChapter13.org offers a forum to advance continuing education of consumer bankruptcy via access to insightful articles, informative webinars, and the latest industry news. Join now to benefit from expert resources and stay informed.

Webinars

These informative sessions are led by industry experts and cover a range of consumer bankruptcy topics.

Member Articles

Written by industry experts, these articles provide in-depth analysis and practical guidance on consumer bankruptcy topics.

Industry News

The Academy is the go-to source for the latest news and analysis in the Chapter 13 bankruptcy industry.

To get started, please let us know which of these best fits your current position: