Constant change is the new normal. This is as true for lawyers as it is for society at large. Just as change is the law of life, it has become the life of law practice. Indeed, the legal profession has experienced more change over the past 20 years than it did over the last two centuries. I went to … Continued
“If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein, physicist I have found that if I ask for help on a project or carrying that third cup of coffee back to the team, people are generally supportive and not only willing, but happy to help. It’s simple, short, measurable help; … Continued
New York is ranked as the third most popular place in the world for international arbitrations, according to the International Chamber of Commerce. And by a landslide, New York is the most frequently used venue in the United States for international arbitrations, based on 2018 statistics released by the American Arbitration Association’s International Centre for … Continued
Judith Kaye completed the writing, but not the editing, of her autobiography before she died. She had begun, her daughter tells us in a prefatory note, to rearrange her narrative into chronological order, but had not finished the job. Her children, finding it presumptuous to finish it for her and “too weird” to publish the … Continued
In Part I of this series (91 N.Y. St. B.J. 35 (Sept./Oct. 2019)), we compared, in outline form, prior landlord-tenant law with New York’s new Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA). In this article, we discuss HSTPA’s rent-regulation provisions. Most see HSTPA’s passage on June 14, 2019, as a tectonic shift in … Continued
“The masters are content to say, ‘The elect will understand, there is no need to write for others.’“1 Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court who before that was the New York State’s Chief Judge, is known for his legal essays, writing style, and influence on the American legal system.2 He … Continued
The New York Law Journal quoted President Greenberg on the Working Group on Attorney Mental Health and its upcoming report at the House of Delegates meeting. (may require subscription) It’s estimated that fewer than 2% of applicants even answer affirmatively to the question about mental health. But statistics indicate that the population of law school students … Continued
The Albany Times Union mentioned the New York State Bar Association as a potential source for recommending commissioners. (may require subscription) As a nine-member commission irons out a new statewide publicly funded election system, New York’s top election enforcement official, Risa Sugarman, believes those powers should stay in an office similar to her current post.
WAMC published President Greenberg’s latest message on the rule of law. There is an ancient saying: “May you live in interesting times.” This expression is intended to be ironic. It reflects anxiety and fear about current events or perhaps even the future. I think we can all agree that the times in which we live … Continued
Bloomberg Law reported on NYSBA’s Ethics Opinion 1175 about clients wishing to withdraw a guilty plea. (may require subscription) Lawyers must respect a client’s wish to withdraw a guilty plea after having explained the risks in doing so, even if the withdrawal would result in a harsher sentence, according to the New York State Bar … Continued