Event Overview
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM – CLE Program
50+ Section Chair: Hon. Adam Seiden
General Practice Section Chair: Michael A. Markowitz, Esq.
General Registration Fee
Required for all Annual Meeting attendees.
| NYSBA Members | $250 |
| Non-members | $395 |
+plus…
$195 Program Registration Fee
General Practice Section and 50+ Section Agenda
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
New York Hilton Midtown
1335 6th Avenue (between 53rd & 54th Streets), New York, NY 10019 CLE Program | 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Beekman, 2nd Floor
4.0 MCLE Credits
2.0 MCLE Credits in Ethics & Professionalism,
2.0 MCLE Credits in Areas of Professional Practice
This program is transitional and is suitable for all attorneys including those newly admitted.
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Welcome
Michael A. Markowitz, Esq., General Practice Section Chair
Hon. Adam Seiden, 50+ Section Chair
Nomination and Election of Officers for the General Practice Section, amendment of section Bylaws, Award ceremony
Speaker
Sarah E. Gold, Esq. | General Practice Section Chair-Elect Senior Attorney, New York State Department of Health Principal, The Gold Law Firm
Nomination and Election of Officers for the 50+ Section and presentation of the Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award
Speaker
Hon. Adam Seiden | 50+ Section Chair
9:00 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.
Balancing Transparency and Confidentiality: Legal Perspectives on Public Access to Information
A distinguished panel to explore one of the most pressing issues in modern law: the tension between the public’s right to access information and the necessity of maintaining confidentiality. Speakers will delve into the legal frameworks, ethical considerations, and real-world challenges that arise when courts, government agencies, and private entities navigate the boundaries of disclosure.
Speaker
Hon. Ronald J. Hedges | Former US Magistrate Judge, Ronald J. Hedges LLC
Prof. Marissa Moran | New York City College of Technology (CUNY)
1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
New York Bar Foundation Presentation
10:10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.
Truth, Technology, Filings and Testimony: Lawyers’ Duties in AI-Influenced Litigation (Committee on Professional Discipline)
As artificial intelligence reshapes the legal landscape, attorneys face new challenges in navigating cases where AI tools, algorithms, and automated decision-making play a central role. This seminar brings together a distinguished panel of attorneys to explore the evolving professional responsibilities of lawyers in AI-influenced litigation.
Speaker
Prof. Barry Scheck | Professor Emeritus, Cardozo Law School Co-Founder, Innocence Project
Prof. Marissa J. Moran | Professor of Law; Chair, Paralegal Studies Department CUNY - New York City College of Technology
Hon. Jesse M. Furman | US District Judge Southern District
Michael S. Ross, Esq. | Principal, Law Offices of Michael S. Ross
Moderator
Joel Cohen, Esq. | Petrillo Klein & Boxer LLP
2.0 MCLE Credits in Ethics11:55 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
Break
12:05 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.
Review of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Legislation
Speakers will provide a comprehensive review of New York’s newly passed Medical Aid in Dying Act, exploring its legal framework, ethical debates, and practical implications for healthcare providers, attorneys, and policymakers.
Speaker
Hon. Rachel Kretzer | Adjunct Professor Albany Law School
Prof. Emily A. Beer, J.D., M.S. | Columbia University School of Professional Studies
1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice12:55 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Speaker
Martin Minkowitz, Esq |
2026 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award Winner
George H. Lowe, Esq.
Of Counsel, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC
George is of counsel to the firm and concentrates his practice on white collar criminal defense and complex federal civil litigation. He also uses those skills he developed on the bench to serve as a mediator and arbitrator. In addition, George continues to play a significant role in pro bono matters and other services to the Bar.
George was appointed a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of New York in February 2004. Before taking the bench, he was a member (partner) at Bond for 21 years, concentrating his practice in white collar criminal defense and federal court civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, George served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, and before that appointment he was an Assistant United States Attorney for five years.
George is a past President of the Onondaga County Bar Association and a former Chair of the Fifth Judicial District’s Committee on Character and Fitness. He has served on the boards of Legal Services of Central New York, the Onondaga County Bar Foundation, the Central New York Women’s Bar Association and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County, Inc. While in practice George received numerous honors for his service in pro bono cases, and from 2007 to 2014 he was co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Access to Justice. From 2010 to 2016 he was a member of the Chief Judge’s Permanent Commission on Access to Justice. In 2015, the “George H. Lowe Center for Justice” was dedicated to house under “One Roof” the legal services organizations of Onondaga County.
In 2007, George received the Onondaga County Bar Association’s Distinguished Lawyer Award. In 2012, the Northern District of New York’s Federal Court Bar Association presented him with its James R. Duane Award for commitment to public service. In 2018, George was the recipient of the Hiscock Legal Aid Society’s “Justice For All” award for his “sustained engagements in promoting projects that serve Central New York’s most marginalized residents.” Also, from 2012 through 2024, the New York
State Bar Association designated George as an “Empire State Counsel” for his pro bono services. In 2022, the Federal Court Bar Association created “The George H. Lowe Pro Bono Recognition Award” to be given annually to a member of that Association who has performed significant pro bono work during the year.
George is a faculty member with the Center for International Legal Studies, headquartered in Salzburg, Austria, and he has taught courses on the Bill of Richts and American Criminal Law in Odessa and Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine, in Pristina, Kosovo, and in Szczecin, Poland.