Marjorie L. Girth
Dean and Professor of Law Emerita- Education
LL.B., Harvard University
A.B., Mount Holyoke College
- Specializations
Bankruptcy
- Biography
Marjorie Girth, professor of law emerita, practiced law in New Jersey before becoming a research associate in the Brookings Institution's Governmental Studies Division. In 1971, Girth joined the University at Buffalo's law faculty and taught courses in Bankruptcy, Contracts, Commercial Law and Women's Rights there until 1991. During that period, she chaired the New York State Bar Association's Banking, Corporation and Business Law Section and was a member of the American Bar Association's Council of the Business Law Section.
Girth has served as a visiting professor at the law schools of the University of Virginia and Emory University. While in Atlanta, she became acquainted with Georgia State's College of Law, which was then less than 10 years old. In 1992, Girth became that law school's dean and served in that capacity until 1996. She then returned to full-time law teaching at Georgia State, adding Professional Responsibility to her earlier commercial law courses.
Girth has written books and professional articles on bankruptcy and professional responsibility issues. She has also engaged in extensive professional service. For example, Girth has served the Association of American Law Schools in a number of capacities, most recently as a member of its Professional Development Committee and as its reporter for several Accreditation Site Evaluation teams.
The Georgia Supreme Court has also appointed Girth to its commissions, beginning in 1993 and continuing to the present time when she serves as a member of that Court's Commission on Access and Fairness in the Courts.
- Publications
Books
Marjorie L. Girth, Bankruptcy Options for the Consumer Debtor (Practicing Law Institute 1981).
Marjorie L. Girth, Poor People’s Lawyers (Exposition Press 1976).
David T. Stanley & Marjorie L. Girth, Bankruptcy: Problem, Process, Reform (Brookings Institution 1971).
Book Chapters
Marjorie L. Girth, Contributor, in Funk and Wagnall's Encyclopedia (Marshall Cavendish ed., 1988).
Marjorie L. Girth, Personal Bankruptcy Options in the United States, in Consumer Credit and Consumer Insolvency: Perspectives for Legal Policy From Europe and the USA (Gunter Hormann ed., 1986).
Marjorie L. Girth, Contributor, in The Guide to American Law: Everyone's Legal Encyclopedia (West Pub. Co., 1983).
Marjorie L. Girth, Discharge of Debtors, in Practicing Under the Bankruptcy Reform Act (George Brody, Walter J. Taggart and Gregory Lee eds., CRR Pub. Co., 1979).
Articles
Marjorie L. Girth, Acceptance of the Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement: "Pursuing Law Reform Opportunities", 32 Emory Bankr. Dev. J. 11 (2015).
Marjorie L. Girth, The Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Bankruptcy, Panel Three, The Fifth Annual Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal Symposium, 24 Emory Bankr. Dev. J. 309 (2008).
Marjorie L. Girth, A Response to the New Economics of the American Family, 12 Am. Bankr. Inst. L. Rev. 59 (2004).
Marjorie L. Girth, Facing Ethical Issues with Law Students in an Adversary Context, 21 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 593 (2004-05).
Marjorie L. Girth, UB’s Women in Law: Overcoming Barriers During Their First Hundred Years, 9 Buff. Women's L.J. 51 (2000-2001).
Marjorie L. Girth, Rethinking Fairness in Bankruptcy Proceedings, 73 Am. Bankr. L.J. 449 (1999).
Marjorie L. Girth, The Role of Empirical Data in Developing Bankruptcy Legislation for Individuals, 65 Ind. L.J. 17 (1989).
Marjorie L. Girth, Encouraging Excellence, 31 Buffalo L. Rev. 2 (1982).
Other
Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Court System, Let Justice Be Done: Equally, Fairly, and Impartially (1995).
Erie County Task Force on the Status of Women, Women's Issues: A New Beginning for Erie County: Report by the Erie County Task Force on the Status of Women (1987).
Personal Bankruptcy: Hearing Before Subcomm. on Monopolies and Commercial Law of the H. Comm. on the Judiciary, (1981-82) 97th Cong.
Commercial Law Committee, Erie County Bar Association, Guidelines for Enforcement of Civil Judgments and Issuance of Civil Process (1977).
Bankruptcy Reform Act, Part 1: Hearing Before Subcomm. on Civil and Constitutional Rights of the H. Comm. on the Judiciary, (1975) 94th Cong.
Bankruptcy Reform Act, Part 2: Hearing Before Subcomm. on Improvements in Judicial Machinery of the S. Comm. on the Judiciary, (1975) 94th Cong.