Charles D. Novack

Hon. Charles D. Novack is Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of California in Oakland, initially appointed on May 13, 2010. He regularly lectures on a variety of bankruptcy topics, is a Rutter Group guest lecturer on bankruptcy family law issues, and is a panel member on the Bay Area Bank- ruptcy Forum’s popular Consumer Update annual program. Judge Novack maintained his own bank- ruptcy practice in Oakland, Calif., during the five years preceding his appointment, representing chapter 7 trustees, and debtors, creditors and other interested parties in chapter 7, 11 and 13 cases. From 1994 until 2005, he was an associate and then a partner at the Oakland bankruptcy boutique firm of Kornfield, Paul & Nyberg. Judge Novack served as an associate professor at California State University, East Bay for several years and at Hastings College of the law during the 2017-18 school year. He received his bachelor’s degree with honors in 1980 from Rutgers College and his J.D. cum laude in 1983 from the University of California at Hastings College of the Law.