Federal Rules of Procedure and Evidence Bankruptcy Attorneys Should Know (Presented by the Federal Bar Association Bankruptcy Law Section)

Craig A. Gargotta, Chief Judge | United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas

Judge Gargotta was appointed to the bench on October 1, 2007. He was then appointed Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Texas on November 2, 2021. Judge Gargotta has a B.A. and M.A. from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. After law school he clerked for the Honorable Ronald B. King, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Texas. He then served as an Asst. U.S. Attorney for 17 years prior to taking the bench. Judge Gargotta is a member of the NCBJ, Federal Bar Association, and Larry E. Kelly Inn of Court. He serves as an Associate Editor for the American Bankruptcy Law Journal and is an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s Law School. Judge Gargotta has spoken at numerous bar conferences on a local and national level. Judge Gargotta and his wife Susan have been married for almost 39 years and have two sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a beautiful grandbaby girl.

Layne Mustian, Law Clerk to Judge Gargotta | United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas

Layne Mustian graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, in the Spring of 2024. She currently serves as a Judicial Law Clerk for Chief Judge Craig A. Gargotta, United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas. She previously served as a Summer Associate for Dykema Gossett, PLLC, a Research Assistant to Associate Dean Colin P. Marks, J.D. at St. Mary’s University School of Law, and as a Law Clerk for the Law Office of Cesar Montalvo, PLLC.

Gabrielle Resnick, Law Clerk to Judge Gargotta | United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas

Gabrielle Resnick graduated with her Juris Doctor in May of 2023 from the Emory University School of Law. She currently serves as a Judicial Law Clerk for Chief Judge Craig A. Gargotta, United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas. She previously served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable J.P. Boulee at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Prior to that, she worked as a Legal Intern for the U.S. Trustee’s office in Atlanta, GA and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Macon, GA. She also served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Sage M. Sigler, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Georgia.

I. Procedural rules applicable in bankruptcy and civil cases | 2:00pm – 2:25pm

II. Civil rules of procedure that arise in bankruptcy cases | 2:25pm – 2:40pm

III. Rules of evidence bankruptcy attorneys should know | 2:40pm – 2:55pm

IV. Q&A | 2:55pm – 3:00pm