Liability for bankruptcy trustees
Goldman v. Phillips
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- Amy L.
- What's at stake
- The unresolved question is whether Chapter 7 trustees can be held personally responsible for ordinary carelessness in their official work, and what level of fault is required.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
Goldman asks the Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit ruling that a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee may be sued personally for ordinary carelessness (simple negligence) while carrying out official duties; her petition says appeals courts disagree about the level of fault required. The Court distributed the petition for a conference but has not agreed to hear the case.
Goldman argues that appeals courts disagree about how much fault is needed to hold a bankruptcy trustee personally responsible.
Question presented
Whether Chapter 7 trustees may be personally liable for their official acts, and if so, under what standard liability is permitted.
What happens next
The petition was distributed for the Court’s Nov. 13, 2026, conference. That does not mean the Court has agreed to hear it, and no argument or decision date is set.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: documents, description, proceeding_type
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Case data updated: documents, description, proceeding_type
Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type
Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type
Brief added: Petition
Court Order added: Lower Court Orders/Opinions
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.