Reducing your Monthly Student Loan Payments: DOJ Policies, Brunner Updates, and Innovative Non-Bankruptcy Solutions

Bryan Sisto | Frost Brown Todd LLP

Bryan joined Frost Brown Todd in 2019 in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group and has broad experience across all facets of bankruptcy practice, including commercial and consumer cases, and bankruptcy litigation. During his time at the firm, Bryan has represented debtors, creditors, trustees, and committees in large, complex chapter 11 cases, and consumer cases under chapter 7 and chapter 13.

Prior to joining the firm, Bryan served for five years as the Career Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles M. Caldwell at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. At the Bankruptcy Court, Bryan drafted dozens of judicial opinions in adversary proceedings and contested matters in cases small and large, and helped Judge Caldwell manage the Court’s significant chapter 13 docket.

Bryan has extensive experience with student loans in bankruptcy, having defended Educational Credit Management Corporation in nearly one-hundred undue hardship adversary proceedings, as well as contesting the treatment of student loans in chapter 13 in dozens of cases.

Joshua Cohen | Cohen Consumer Law, PLC

Joshua R.I. Cohen’s journey into consumer protection law began during his time as a college student at Brandeis University, where he gained firsthand insight into the challenges of student loans while working in the financial aid office. This experience opened his eyes to the financial devastation student loans could cause if not managed carefully. He continued his studies at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he became deeply involved in consumer protection law. His passion for advocating for underserved populations led him to work with Connecticut Legal Services’ Consumer Law Project for Elders (CLEP), where he became the first law student to ever work with the program. There, he helped an elderly retiree who was facing the threat of having his Social Security benefits garnished due to overdue student loan payments, successfully preventing the offset and negotiating a manageable repayment plan.

Following law school, Josh worked briefly for a well-known collection harassment lawyer before founding the Law Office of Joshua R.I. Cohen in 2008, later rebranded as Cohen Consumer Law in 2014. Through his firm, Josh has been dedicated to assisting individuals with student loan issues, defending clients against debt collection lawsuits, suing debt collectors for harassment and abusive practices, fighting inaccurate credit reporting, and helping clients resolve overdue private student loan debts.

Session I – An Update on Student Loans and Bankruptcy | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Update on DOJ policies
• Update on Brunner
• Non-bankruptcy payment solutions
• Non-bankruptcy discharge solutions

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Student Loan Relief: Insights on SAVE, PSLF, and Private Loan Solutions | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• What may come from the 8th circuit in the national SAVE lawsuit now that SAVE is dead
• PSLF – How to get clients in the door
• How to help clients with private student loans