Justice Department Announces New Director of the U.S. Trustee Program

January 19, 2023 — Press Release

The Justice Department announced today that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has selected Tara Twomey to serve as Director of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) at the Department of Justice.

“The United States Trustee Program plays a critical role in ensuring the fairness of the bankruptcy process — including by providing impartial oversight and protecting consumer debtors from fraud and abuse,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am confident that Ms. Twomey’s leadership will advance USTP’s mission to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for debtors, creditors, and the public.”

Ms. Twomey has over 20 years of experience working on bankruptcy and consumer credit issues. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center, which advances the rights of consumer bankruptcy debtors. She is Of Counsel at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), and serves as a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. 

“Congratulations to Tara on her appointment as director of the U.S. Trustee Program,” said Rich Dubois, executive director of NCLC. “We’ve been privileged to have Tara affiliated with NCLC for 18 years, and we will miss her. But we are thrilled that she will bring her tremendous expertise and leadership to the Department of Justice to protect consumers facing bankruptcy.”

She is the author of numerous books and articles on bankruptcy law and practice, and has served as an instructor at Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School, and Stanford Law School. Ms. Twomey is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a conferee of the National Bankruptcy Conference, and a director of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Boston College Law School.

“Throughout her career as a practitioner, scholar, and teacher, Tara Twomey has been a leader in the bankruptcy bar and a passionate voice for making the bankruptcy system accessible to all,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “She will bring energy, experience, and judgment to her new role as USTP Director. I look forward to working with her in this new role.”

USTP is the only neutral party in the bankruptcy process, and brings a national perspective to every bankruptcy matter. USTP also plays a critical role in protecting consumer debtors against fraud and abuse. USTP consists of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees, located in Washington, D.C., and 21 regions with 90 field offices throughout the country. The Director of USTP is responsible for leading approximately 1000 employees to implement USTP’s core mission to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system.

Ms. Twomey will assume her duties on Feb. 27.