Good evening Members, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks has issued an order finalizing plans for the state court system’s “virtual courts” to begin handling some non-essential matters starting Monday, April 13. In addition to essential and emergency matters, the following non-essential procedures and protocols are as follows: Conferencing Pending Cases: Courts will review their … Continued

Good evening Members, The presiding justices of the Appellate Division, who are responsible for overseeing the admission of attorneys to the practice of law in New York, said they will soon resume the admissions process by conducting virtual admission ceremonies for eligible candidates. In their latest statement, Justices Rolando T. Acosta, Alan D. Scheinkman, Elizabeth … Continued

Good evening Members, A newly launched New York State Bar Association task force assisting solo practitioners and small firms facing economic challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic has already successfully advocated for many state and federal courts in New York to handle interim vouchers for work performed before the non-essential court shutdown. The Task Force to … Continued

In what is likely to become a model for other governing bodies and bar associations around the country, NYSBA’s House of Delegates held its first-ever all-virtual meeting on April 4. The House of Delegates (HOD) meeting was held via videoconference with 207 members of the association’s governing body participating, the highest number of HOD participants … Continued

Good evening Members, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a new executive order today that addresses remote witnessing. The order, among other issues, clarifies the requirements needed to allow the remote signings of such documents as deeds, wills, powers of attorney forms and healthcare proxies. The order states that the law authorizes the use of audio and … Continued

The New York State Unified Court System officially announced today that beginning Monday, April 13 its virtual courts will begin handling more than just essential and emergency matters.

Good evening Members, The New York bar examination has been rescheduled for Sept. 9-10, 2020. According to the New York State Board of Law Examiners, the application period for the rescheduled exam is slated to open on May 5 at 12 a.m. and close on May 30 at 11:59 p.m. The National Conference of Bar … Continued

The New York State Bar Association held its first-ever virtual meeting of the House of Delegates today and adopted three groundbreaking reports that recommend toughening the New York bar exam, encouraging lawyers to practice in rural areas and making New York more attractive for the testing of autonomous vehicles. “From innovative initiatives to address the … Continued

“Research suggests that nearly 75% of current rural lawyers will retire over the next three decades with few to no new attorneys ready to replace them,” said NYSBA President Hank Greenberg.