President’s Report to the House of Delegates: Renewing Acquaintances and Reflecting on our History
1.16.2026
Dear Colleagues:
Our much anticipated 150th anniversary celebration has finally arrived. It is gratifying to renew acquaintances, reflect on our history, partake in our awards ceremonies, and learn from our esteemed panelists and CLE faculty. Add to the celebration that for the first time in over a decade our members in January 2026 exceed what they were last year.
Last night, it was my honor to present Governor Kathy Hochul with the association’s highest honor, the Gold Medal. I am grateful that so many of you celebrated with us at The Plaza.
As we look ahead, our 150th anniversary celebration is an opportunity to commemorate our influence on law and democracy. It is also time to think about our responsibility to seek and speak the truth and to do the public good.
We are uniquely positioned as the largest and most prestigious state volunteer bar association in the country. We have the expertise to provide thoughtful and balanced assessments of complex issues that concern our members, our profession and our society.
I met with Chief Judge Rowan Wilson last month to discuss and reaffirm our partnership with the Judiciary. He is always generous with his time and wisdom, and I believe he has attended more state bar association events than any other Chief Judge. I am looking forward to his remarks at today’s Judicial Section Reception and Luncheon.
We have so much to be proud of.
Among our many accomplishments this year has been our successful advocacy for the Medical Aid in Dying Act. I want to thank Past President Richard Lewis for creating the Task Force, immediate past president and “my president” Domenick Napoletano, for supporting it during his presidency, and of course, the members of our Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying, chaired by the incomparable Mary Beth Morrissey. The rigorous research done by NYSBA’s Task Force led to sound recommendations and helped make the law a reality. I was honored to be invited to attend Governor Hochul’s press conference last month when she formally announced her intention to sign the bill. It was an emotional moment for so many who had invested in years of advocacy, and it illustrated our work’s significance. The new law will at last afford New Yorkers the autonomy to choose to live out their final chapter with dignity and autonomy.
We have had influence on many other issues as well.
Governor Hochul recently signed a bill that eliminates anonymous reporting in child abuse matters. This was proposed by our Committee on Families and the Law in its 2022 report on Racial Justice and Child Welfare. Thank you to Chair Linda Gehron and the Committee for their outstanding work on this important issue.
The governor also signed a bill that will expand access to the courts for New Yorkers with mental health challenges. Our Task Force on Mental Health and Trauma Informed Representation revealed how failure to provide meaningful treatment options for people with mental illness has resulted in too many being funneled into the criminal justice system. Thank you to co-chairs Shelia Shea and Joseph Glazer, and all the task force members, for their work that will help vulnerable populations.
These initiatives demonstrate how our expert attention to and analysis of issues can prompt legislative reform and executive action. Of course, there is always more to be done.
I have spoken out against the Trump administration’s attacks on institutions, including the judiciary and bar associations. The association received national media attention when I merely restated an obvious principle: that lawyers who abandon their oath to the Constitution by intentionally misrepresenting the facts or the law in court are subject to discipline, even if they work for the Department of Justice. In an article in Bloomberg Law, we brought early additional attention to the improper and unprecedented installation of unvetted and unconfirmed U.S. Attorneys. Are we in a period of Constitution failure?
At our presidential summit yesterday, we focused on the President’s violations of the constitution and destruction of norms, Congress’ acquiescence and the Supreme Court’s role.
I will continue to note and challenge the executive branch’s disdain for rule of law when it suits the President’s agenda and its cynical invocation of the Rule of Law when convenient, such as when a “law enforcement purpose” is the pretext to depose a foreign leader with military force so that the U.S. can “take the oil” or “run the country”.
At the State level we will continue to advocate for an increase in the rate of compensation for 18-B attorneys. In 2023, our lobbying, led by Past President Sherry Levin Wallach’s efforts, helped convince state leaders to increase the 18-B attorney pay rate. And we launched the Rural Ready initiative this week; a joint effort with O.C.A to ameliorate the impact of the legal deserts in rural New York Counties.
We will also continue to speak out on:
- The importance of adequate funding for civil legal aid, which stabilizes families and communities, and
- Our objection to the record keeping requirements for attorney notaries.
And we are still planning our NYSBA AI Platform
Later this morning…we will hear reports and recommendations:
- In Support of Comprehensive Nonprofit Contracting Reform.
- In Support of Public Service Loan Forgiveness Programs and
- On Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice in 2025.
- And an informational report from the Medical Indemnity Fund Task Force.
Thank you to all who contributed to these excellent reports.
As we celebrate this important milestone for our Association, it is even more clear that there will be even more serious challenges to the Rule of Law in the year and years ahead. We will be undaunted and will meet the moment.
Thank you.
