In this age of instant access to all forms of information and the resulting personal security concerns, courts are called upon to balance the privacy rights of citizens constitutionally called to duty as jurors in a criminal case against the right of fellow citizens to invade their privacy under the Constitution and common law.[1] In 2018, I represented the … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano released the following statement after the state Legislature passed the notary reform bill A07241A/S8663: “New York State regulations mandated that notaries keep records of every transaction for 10 years. It was so difficult and time consuming that many attorneys chose to stop doing notary work altogether. We … Continued
Dispute resolution professionals have increasingly relied on technology to promote and provide services in recent years. COVID-19 accelerated the adoption and reliance on communication technologies like Zoom and Teams, which have been professional lifesavers for many. Although everyone experienced a learning curve, some dispute resolution providers and participants—and especially some persons with disabilities (PWDs)—found the … Continued
You may think you know Domenick Napoletano. Here are ten little-known facts about this first-generation American and the son of Italian immigrants. 1, He was the first in his family to graduate elementary school. 2. This native son of Brooklyn grew up not far from the Brooklyn waterfront where his father worked as a longshoreman. … Continued
President Richard Lewis reflects on his groundbreaking year as president and the initiatives he took to combat anti-Asian hate and antisemitism, preserve diversity and keep funding flowing to legal services programs. He also shares how the year has changed him both personally and professionally. In an extensive interview with Miranda Warnings host, David Miranda, Lewis … Continued
More than two dozen young lawyers from the New York State Bar Association were honored by a visit from Chief Justice John Roberts before their admission ceremony to the Supreme Court Bar. The Chief Justice attended a breakfast at the U.S. Supreme Court prior to the ceremony. Roberts talked about his roots as a native … Continued
When Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor in August 2021, New York had a constitutional procedure in place to fill that vacancy instantly. Under the constitution, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul became governor. So far, so good. But what if she became incapable of serving? Who would make that determination, and how? New York is one of … Continued
Augustine Classical Academy, a small Saratoga County Christian school, bested an impressive prosecution put on by Clarence High School from Erie County to win the New York State Bar Association Mock Trial Competition. The fictional criminal case, the People of the State of Nivana v. Lindsay Gordon, involved a business owner charged with 3rd degree … Continued
For the second time in two years, the Syracuse public school city wide Mock Trial Team is headed to the state finals. Nottingham High School, which is made up of students from all of the city’s public high schools, beat Onondaga County powerhouse Fayetteville Manlius to move on in the competition. Nottingham students and teachers … Continued
Postseason competition in Mock Trial is nothing new for the Clarence High School team in suburban Buffalo. The team this year bested a crowded field of more than two dozen schools from Western New York to take the Region I title. They beat out last year’s Region I champ Frewsburg High School in Chautauqua County. … Continued