The Boy Scouts of America, one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S., may file for bankruptcy protection due to dropping membership and increasing legal costs in connection with allegations of sexual abuse. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the organization has hired a Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin, to prepare for a possible chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a procedure under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code which permits reorganization and which would reportedly stop civil proceedings, allowing the organization to negotiate settlements. A number of plaintiffs allege that the non-profit did not do enough to avoid sexual predators becoming scout leaders.