COLLEEN A. BROWN has served as the U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Vermont since 2000. She received a B.A., cum laude, with honors in philosophy, from Colgate University in 1979, and a J.D., cum laude, from Buffalo Law School in 1983. Judge Brown chaired the first Vermont Rule of Law Conference (2008), and previously was a member of the First Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (2002 – 2003), represented the Second Circuit on the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts’ "Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group" (2004 – 2007), and chaired the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ "NCBJ - United States Trustee Liaison Committee" (2005 – 2008). Additionally, Judge Brown is an author for Collier on Bankruptcy 15th edition, was a member of the NCBJ Education Committee (2008), is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy consumer law topics, and regularly teaches about the intersection of state law and bankruptcy law. Formerly, Judge Brown served as Law Clerk to Hon. Beryl E. McGuire, Chief Judge of the Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York, and as the Assistant United States Trustee for the Western District of New York. Judge Brown has been active in state and local bar associations. She was the recipient of the New York State Bar Association's President's Pro Bono Service Award in 1992 and of the Vermont Bar Association’s Pro Bono Service Award in 2006.