The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia is uniquely small among federal bankruptcy courts: it has one active sitting bankruptcy judge — the Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn — supplemented by the recall service of Judge S. Martin Teel, Jr. All bankruptcy cases filed in DC are heard by one of these two judges. This page summarizes their backgrounds and the procedural impact of a single-judge district. Source: official court information at dcb.uscourts.gov.
The DC bankruptcy bar is small and the judges know the regular practitioners. That is generally a benefit for represented debtors — competent, prepared attorneys are recognized and trusted; pro se filers and out-of-district counsel face a steeper learning curve.
Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn
Position: United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Columbia
Service since: 2020
Chambers: (202) 354-3030
Judge Gunn is the only sitting bankruptcy judge in both the District of Columbia and the entire D.C. Circuit. She was appointed in 2020 — sworn in by Zoom from her living room during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining the bench, Judge Gunn served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Division of Child Support Enforcement, an unusual background for a bankruptcy judge that brings particular insight on domestic-support obligation issues under § 523(a)(5) and § 1322(a).
Judge Gunn is recognized in the bankruptcy field beyond her judicial role. She was named by the American Bankruptcy Institute to its inaugural class of 40 Under 40 in 2017. She serves as an Associate Editor for the American Bankruptcy Law Journal and as a Coordinating and Associate Editor of the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review. Judge Gunn is Board Certified in Consumer Law by the American Board of Certification and hosts the American Bar Association Business Law Section podcast "Bad Boys of Bankruptcy." Her degrees are a B.A. cum laude from Willamette University and a J.D. cum laude from Boston College Law School.
Practical Notes for Cases Before Judge Gunn
- Confirmation hearings (Chapter 13). Judge Gunn typically holds Chapter 13 confirmation hearings on a defined weekly calendar. Hearings are conducted by phone or Zoom. Counsel familiar with the calendar know to be prepared to address any pending objections, MMP status, and plan funding sources.
- Trustee motion practice. Judge Gunn handles motions to dismiss for failure to make plan payments under § 1307(c) routinely. Cases that demonstrate good-faith effort to address payment problems through modification under § 1329 are generally treated more favorably than those allowed to default without explanation.
- Lift-stay motions. Judge Gunn applies the standard cause analysis under § 362(d), with attention to the equity cushion in real-property cases and the debtor’s ability to provide adequate protection. Negotiated consent orders are routine.
- Adversary proceedings. Judge Gunn handles dischargeability adversaries (§§ 523, 727), preference and fraudulent-transfer actions, and creditor-violation litigation under §§ 362(k) and 524 with the same court. Pretrial scheduling is conducted on a defined adversary calendar.
Hon. S. Martin Teel, Jr. (Recalled)
Position: United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Columbia (Recalled)
Service since: 1988
Retirement: Effective March 22, 2020
Recall through: March 29, 2027
Chambers: (202) 354-3530
Judge Teel served as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge from 1988, retired in 2020, and is currently recalled through March 29, 2027. He continues to handle a portion of the court’s caseload as a recalled judge during the recall period. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1970, clerked for Judge Roger Robb of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and served at the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1971 to 1988 before his appointment to the bankruptcy court.
Judge Teel’s prior service at the DOJ Tax Division gives him particular depth on tax-related bankruptcy issues — § 523(a)(1) priority tax discharge analysis, IRS proof-of-claim disputes, and tax-debt § 1322(a)(2) treatment in Chapter 13 plans.
Single-Judge District: What It Means for Filers
The DC Bankruptcy Court is one of the smallest federal bankruptcy courts in the country by case volume and judges. A single active judge (with one recalled judge) hears every consumer Chapter 7, every Chapter 13 confirmation, every adversary, and every contested matter. Practical implications:
- Consistent rulings. Unlike multi-judge districts where outcomes can vary by judge, the DC court applies a consistent voice across all cases. Counsel familiar with Judge Gunn’s preferences and Judge Teel’s established jurisprudence can predict outcomes with reasonable accuracy.
- Calendar discipline. The single-judge format requires tight calendar management. Confirmation hearings, motions, and adversaries proceed on defined weekly or monthly schedules. Counsel who file last-minute typically wait for the next available slot.
- Recusal challenges. If recusal becomes necessary, the case is referred to a sitting judge from another district. This is rare but possible.
- Local-rule practice. The court’s Local Bankruptcy Rules — particularly the Mortgage Modification Program rules under LBR 2016-5 and the Chapter 13 plan rules — are tightly applied. Read more in DC Bankruptcy Court Local Rules — Plain English.
Court Location and Contact
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
333 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
General phone: (202) 354-3280
Web: dcb.uscourts.gov
Disclaimer
This page is informational. Nothing here constitutes legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship. The judges’ biographical details are sourced from publicly available court information at dcb.uscourts.gov. This page does not represent the views of either judge, the court, or the federal judiciary, and is not endorsed by any federal officer or judicial chambers.