The U.S. First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel

The U.S. First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel is the federal appellate court which hears appeals from bankruptcy courts in the following districts: the District of Rhode Island, District of New Hampshire, District of Puerto Rico, District of Maine and District of Massachusetts. The court is located in Boston, Massachusetts.

There are currently 12 active judges, representing each of the five districts within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the First Circuit. When a case is heard by this court, a panel of three judges decide the case. One judge acts as chief judge, and this position is rotated among all active judges in the court. In order to carry this office, a judge must be at least 70 years old or have served for seven years. However, if no current active judges meet this criteria, they are waived.

The physical address of the court is: John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 910, Boston, MA 02109-3945. The main phone number for the clerk's office is 617-748-9650, and the fax number is 617-748-9659.

The main website for the court is located at www.bap1.uscourts.gov/index.php. This site provides information regarding the way the court conducts itself, its jurisdiction and how cases are handled within the U.S. First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.

Visitors can access details regarding the court's rules and code, the court calendar, current and past court opinions, and even a link to PACER. This system, Public Access to Court Electronic Records, allows registered users to access court records online.  There is also a practice guide which outlines procedures for the appeals process, from filing a notice of appeal to filing and responding to motions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the First Circuit.