Author: Rebecca Melnitsky

Corporate Counsel Institute Takes on Workplace Issues

An all-star lineup of chief legal officers from 19 prominent companies discussed a wide variety of topics, including data security, employee mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion at the New York State Bar Association’s 10th Corporate Counsel Institute. The offices of Kelley Drye & Warren in New York City hosted the all-day event. Data … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Decries Rise in Antisemitic Incidents, Thanks Governor for Combating Hate Crimes

Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s fight against antisemitism: “We applaud Gov. Hochul’s powerful and eloquent words yesterday at the American Jewish Committee’s Board of Governors meeting. Pointing to a 217 percent increase in antisemitic incidents — including messages threatening violence at Cornell … Continued

NYSBA Recommends Expanding Broadband, Providing Digital Literacy Training, and Increasing Access to Electronic Devices

The New York State Bar Association is recommending increased broadband service, digital literacy training and wider access to electronic devices to ensure that all New Yorkers can take part in virtual court proceedings. The recommendations were included in a report by the Task Force on the Post-Pandemic Future of the Profession, which the association’s governing … Continued

Space Law: Expanding To Cover the Moon, the Stars and Beyond

As humans race to explore the cosmos, the law has some catching up to do. While treaties provide guidance, a lot of legal issues in space exploration remain unaddressed and untested. A recent Continuing Legal Education course, hosted by the New York State Bar Association, discussed developments in space law and how they might apply … Continued

Social Media Can Change Outcomes in the Courtroom

Social media affects the public’s perception and results of jury trials – and legal experts are examining the true impact. Brian Donnelly and Gary Muhlstock, partners at Cullen and Dykman, discussed how social media has already affected court cases in a New York State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education course. The Effect on Jurors “Does … Continued

Nineteen Chief Legal Officers To Share Expertise at New York State Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Institute

The chief legal officers of 19 prominent companies — including Citigroup, Nasdaq, NBCUniversal, Ford Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Mastercard, The Bank of New York Mellon, KPMG, New York Life Insurance and The New York Times Company — will discuss the ethics of new technologies, the essentials of data privacy and the key to minimizing risk at … Continued

Daughter of Civil Rights Activists Who Helped Organize March on Washington To Explore its Legacy for 60th Anniversary

Renowned artist, educator and social justice advocate Hasna Muhammad will examine the legacy of the March on Washington and the continued fight for equity at a commemoration marking the march’s 60th anniversary. Her parents, actors and activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, helped organize the first march in 1963. At that first march, 200,000 demonstrators … Continued

What Happens When AI Is Evidence

As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, judges, juries and attorneys will have to know what to do when these technologies are evidence in court cases. A recent  New York State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education course focused on what may happen and how lawyers can present evidence in court when judges and juries are not … Continued