About This Project
1328f.org is an independent research project that uses publicly available court data to measure consumer bankruptcy outcomes at scale. We build open-source tools, publish empirical research, and track enforcement developments in consumer bankruptcy.
The project began with a simple question: when Congress created a statutory bar on repeat-filer discharges in Section 1328(f) of the Bankruptcy Code, did the system actually enforce it?
To answer that question, we built a screening tool that analyzed 4.9 million bankruptcy filings across all 94 federal bankruptcy districts. We found 264 cases where debtors received Chapter 13 discharges despite falling within the statutory bar window. The screening methodology, the data, and the tools are all open-source.
What We Publish
Reports
Empirical research on consumer bankruptcy outcomes, attorney performance, and systemic enforcement gaps. Every report is based on public court data and uses reproducible methodology.
Docket Watch
Tracking significant developments in consumer bankruptcy accountability: enforcement actions, rule changes, judicial findings, and institutional responses to data-driven oversight.
Methodology
Technical documentation of our data sources, analytical methods, and quality controls. Designed so that any practitioner, researcher, or institution can replicate our work in their own jurisdiction.
Tools
Open-source tools for screening, analysis, and visualization. The Section 1328(f) Discharge Screener is our flagship tool, available at no cost with no data collection.
Principles
- Public data only. Every dataset we use is derived from publicly available court records: the FJC Integrated Database, PACER Case Locator, and CourtListener RECAP archive.
- Open source. All tools and analysis code are published on GitHub under open licenses.
- Reproducible. Every finding includes methodology documentation sufficient for independent verification.
- No legal advice. We publish data and analysis. We do not provide legal advice or represent clients.
- Privacy first. We do not publish individual debtor names. Aggregate statistics and anonymized examples only.
Institutional Recognition
- U.S. Courts Rules Committee - Empirical data submitted to the Administrative Office in support of Suggestion 25-BK-N (proposed amendment to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4004). March 2026.
- Google Search - The 1328f.com screener ranks on page 1 for "1328(f)" queries, above multiple government reference sites.
Contact
For research inquiries, data requests, or collaboration: research@1328f.org
For media inquiries: press@1328f.org
1328f.org is an independent research project. Not affiliated with any law firm, government agency, or academic institution.