Bankruptcy & Race

Although a few days old, anytime ELS scholarship lands in the NYT it likely warrants a post. The front page (above-the-fold) of last Saturday's NYT included an extensive summary of a forthcoming JELS article by Jean Braucher (Ariz.), Dov Cohen (Ill.--psych.), &  Bob Lawless (Ill.), Race, Attorney Influence, and Bankruptcy Chapter Choice. As the news story (and article) make clear, two related studies find that "Even after controlling for financial, demographic, and legal factors that might favor a chapter 13 filing, African Americans are much more likely to file chapter 13, as compared to debtors of other races."