The coronavirus crisis is rapidly upending the practice of criminal law, as attorneys face new limits on private communication with clients. “There are clients who truly have anxiety over the fact that they cannot meet with their lawyer,” said Sherry Levin Wallach, the deputy executive director of the Westchester County Legal Aid Society. “From a … Continued
With Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordering businesses to decrease their in-office workforce by 75%, many law firms say they were already implementing similar work-from-home plans this week. Past NYSBA President Stephen P. Younger, of Foley Hoag LLP. in New York City, said his firm began transitioning to work-from-home on March 13. He said the firm has … Continued
A NYSBA Task Force Looks at Access to Justice Beyond Our Metropolitan Centers New York State needs a lot more lawyers – in our rural communities. New York has more licensed attorneys than any other jurisdiction in the United States, but an estimated 96% of them practice in or around the state’s urban centers –New … Continued
New to working from home? Unforeseen challenges? Our Lawyer Assistance Program Director Stacey Whiteley offers these tips to help ease anxiety and stress while working from home. Stay connected to your colleagues, to the profession, and to family and friends. Use the many services that are available online to help ease feelings of isolation. Twitter, … Continued
The legal profession experienced its first loss due to coronavirus when Richard Weber died Wednesday. He’s not the first lawyer affected by this virus. Feeling symptoms that looked like coronavirus, Anne LaBarbera, a partner in a two-person New York City law firm, stopped coming into her office in early March. “It was a mild case, … Continued
Loan repayment reforms, tuition assistance programs, relaxing residency requirements for public positions and raising hourly rates for assigned counsel are among the recommendations made by a New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) report that addresses the state’s rural justice crisis. The report and recommendations of the Task Force on Rural Justice will be presented to NYSBA’s … Continued
Please visit this page daily for updates related to closures and other measures instituted in response to the coronavirus by the Office of Court Administration, federal courts in New York and other legal institutions. Governors’s Executive Order 202.6, March 18, 2020 Governor Cuomo Signs Bill to Guarantee Paid Leave for New Yorkers Under Mandatory or … Continued
Panic can pass more quickly than a virus. “Lawyers often times find themselves having to process their clients’ fears while providing sound legal counsel,” said Libby Coreno, chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Wellbeing Committee. “We have clients who are nervous about how the Covid-19 shutdowns will impact their businesses or clients who … Continued
The coronavirus is a public health crisis the likes of which attorneys, law firms and businesses have never faced before. Naturally, lawyers want to do everything they can to protect themselves, their loved ones, friends, colleagues and clients. Firms have already braced for sick or quarantined staff members who will be unable to work for … Continued
Hermes Fernandez, chair of the Health Law Section and attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King, appeared on The Capitol Pressroom to explain the new and old powers the Governor has in a public health emergency. Included in a coronavirus funding bill were expanded powers for the Governor to respond to the spread of the virus. … Continued