OBP's research is built on public data and published under open-source licenses. If you have cited or referenced our work and would like it listed here, please contact research@openbankruptcyproject.org.
26-BK-3
Federal Rules Suggestion
492
Cases on RECAP
3,007
RECAP Documents
4.9M
Cases Analyzed
Federal Rules Proceedings
Federal
Suggestion 26-BK-3 -- Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules
Judicial Conference of the United States -- March 2026
OBP submitted an empirical analysis of statutory discharge bar enforcement gaps to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. The submission, based on analysis of 4.9 million federal bankruptcy cases, proposed automated screening of Sections 1328(f), 727(a)(8), and 109(g) discharge bars at the point of case filing. The suggestion was accepted on March 23, 2026 and assigned designation 26-BK-3. It is listed as "pending consideration" on the uscourts.gov rules suggestion tracker.
Academic Engagement
Academic
UC Berkeley School of Law -- Methodology Review
Faculty in Empirical Legal Studies -- March 2026
Faculty reviewed OBP's core methodology, including the 1328(f) screening approach, prior-filer rate analysis, and district-level comparative framework. No methodological red flags were identified. The reviewer validated the statistical approach as consistent with standard empirical legal research methods and recommended supplementary data sources for future expansion.
Academic
Georgia State University College of Law -- Data Pipeline Review
Faculty in Computational Legal Studies -- April 2026
Faculty reviewed the OBP data pipeline and analysis infrastructure, including the SQLite database architecture, Python analysis toolchain, and screening methodology. Expressed interest in integration with academic research platforms and potential co-authorship on longitudinal outcome studies.
RECAP Archive Contributions
Archive
Free Law Project RECAP Archive -- Case Donations
CourtListener / RECAP -- Ongoing
OBP has contributed 492 cases and 3,007 documents to the RECAP Archive, the Free Law Project's open repository of federal court documents. These donations make PACER documents freely accessible to the public, reducing barriers to court transparency. Donated cases span multiple districts and include dockets relevant to discharge bar research.
Open-Source Tools & Data
Open Source
Bankruptcy Discharge Screener
GitHub -- Live at 1328f.com
The first open-source tool for screening Section 1328(f) and 727(a)(8) discharge bars using client-side computation. Runs entirely in the browser -- no data is transmitted to any server. The screener uses sql.js to query a local copy of the FJC database directly in the user's browser.
Open Source
Bankruptcy Transparency Network
160+ domains -- GitHub Pages
A network of over 160 free educational websites covering major bankruptcy statutes, procedures, and consumer protection topics. All content is bilingual (English and Spanish), hosted on GitHub Pages with zero hosting costs, and published under open-source licenses. The network includes statutory analysis, court guides for 20+ districts, and free screening tools.
How to Cite OBP
If you reference our research, data, or tools in academic work, legal filings, journalism, or policy documents, we suggest the following citation format:
Open Bankruptcy Project, [Title of Specific Analysis or Tool], https://openbankruptcyproject.org/[page] (last visited [date]).
For the FJC dataset specifically:
Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database -- Civil (Bankruptcy), https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb (data accessed [date]), as analyzed by the Open Bankruptcy Project.
For Suggestion 26-BK-3:
Suggestion 26-BK-3 (Mar. 2026), submitted to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules, Judicial Conference of the United States, available at https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/records-and-archives-rules-committees/rules-suggestions.
Related Pages
- Research Methodology -- how we collect and analyze data
- Research Findings -- published analyses and reports
- Press -- media resources and contact information
- For Researchers -- data access and collaboration
- About OBP -- mission, history, and governance
Last updated: April 2026. This page is maintained as a factual record of citations and references. It is not legal advice.