2026 NCBJ Blackshear Fellowship
Now Accepting Applications
Deadline To Apply: June 1, 2026
The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges is delighted to bestow upon the Honorable Cornelius Blackshear, a dear friend and esteemed colleague, the distinction of naming their fellowship program "The Honorable Cornelius Blackshear Fellowship Program."
Between one (1) and five (5) up-and-coming bankruptcy attorneys will receive Presidential Blackshear Fellowships at the 2026 NCBJ Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA (October 7-10, 2026). Individual attorneys, law firms, government agencies and bankruptcy judges are invited to nominate, as Blackshear Presidential Fellows, attorneys who deserve special recognition for their professional accomplishments to date, and who show the potential to distinguish themselves in future years as highly respected members of the bankruptcy or debt restructuring bar, just as Judge Blackshear himself did. Read about his illustrious career here.
To be nominated, the prospective program participant must:
Have two (2) to ten (10) years of experience practicing law, including judicial clerkship;
Devote at least 50% of his/her practice to bankruptcy cases;
Demonstrate legal excellence in the practice of bankruptcy law;
Display a serious commitment to principles of civility, ethics and professionalism; and
Demonstrate commitment to the continued educational development of bankruptcy professionals and to professional activities that will benefit the public, members of the bar and the court system.
The Blackshear Presidential Fellowship provides a stipend for reimbursement of 50% of expenses (up to $2,000.00 maximum) for travel, lodging and meals incurred to attend the NCBJ Annual Conference and waiver of NCBJ registration fees (not including optional activities, meals or tours) to the applicant(s) selected. Only one attorney from any single law firm or agency may participate.
Nominations will be accepted, commencing on May 1, 2026. The nomination period will close on June 1, 2026. Nominations submitted prior to or after these dates will be disregarded. Each nomination must be in the form of correspondence from an authorized partner of the law firm, senior attorney of a governmental agency or bankruptcy judge attesting to the qualifications of the nominee to be a Blackshear Presidential Fellow, including the number of years the nominee has practiced law. Please include a completed application form with the nomination including the nominee’s full contact information and email address. The application form is available on the NCBJ website. Lawyers in firms with five (5) or fewer attorneys may self-nominate but must fulfill the eligibility requirements. The correspondence and attachments in PDF format must be sent by e-mail to Hon. Kathy Surratt-States.
The following items must be submitted with your application:
A personal statement of 250-300 words describing why you should be selected as a Blackshear Presidential Fellow
One letter of recommendation from an attorney, law professor or law school dean
Please click below for the Blackshear Proclamation and the “2026 Blackshear Fellowship Criteria & Application.” Applications may only be submitted until June 1, 2026 at 5 pm EDT.