How Changes to New York’s Law of Lawyering Would Impact Article 15 of the Judiciary Law

New York and other states have increasingly recognized the need to change how the practice of law will be regulated in their jurisdictions.  Such changes are driven by the failure to provide adequate access to legal services, requirements for diversity in the profession, and the financial burdens on lawyers in their practice.  In New York, NYSBA’s Task Force On Post-Pandemic Future of the Profession discussed the inadequacy of the current required examinations for admission to the bar and offered alternatives.  Chief Judge Fiore’s Working Group on Regulatory Innovation has considered and discussed the provision of legal services and investment in law firms by non-lawyers and the need to improve access to justice in the state. Similar (and somewhat controversial) innovations have been adopted in Arizona and Utah while others are under consideration in California, Illinois, and Oregon.  Further, the American Bar Association’s Center for Innovation has asked its membership to consider changes to the law of lawyering.

This CLE will focus on possible innovations within New York, offering an opportunity to discuss views on potential changes.

Topics:

-Innovations Enacted or Considered in Other Jurisdictions

-Licensing of Lawyers and Non-Lawyer Providers of Legal Services

-Non-Lawyer Investment in Law Firms

-Matching of Lawyers to Clients Through For-Profit Enterprises

-Multijurisdictional Practice and the UPL

-Consideration and Enactment of Innovations in New York