Author: Rebecca Melnitsky

Survey: LGBTQ+ People Do Not Trust Criminal Legal System

LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV do not trust the criminal legal system, according to a survey conducted by Lambda Legal in partnership with Black and Pink National and Strength in Numbers Consulting Group. Richard Saenz, senior attorney at Lambda Legal and project manager for the survey, discussed the results at a continuing legal … Continued

Federal Investment in Broadband Will Help New York Lawyers

On June 26, President Joe Biden announced that New York State will receive $664,618,251.49 in federal money for investment in broadband. This money will be allocated over two years and was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. In 2021, the New York State Bar Association recognized the need for increased … Continued

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch Named Co-Chair of Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Preserving Diversity in the Wake of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is joining Brad Karp, chair of Paul, Weiss, and former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson as chairs of the New York State Bar Association’s blue-ribbon Task Force on Advancing Diversity. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 29 that decades of race-conscious policies at Harvard University and the University … Continued

NYSBA Pledges To Continue Its Fight for Equal Rights in Wake of U.S. Supreme Court Decision in LGBTQ+ Public Accommodations Case

Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, No. 21-476, 599 U.S.__ (2023): “The New York State Bar Association vows to continue its fight for equal rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative LLC … Continued

New York State Bar Association Calls on Policymakers To Bring Cost of Higher Education Within Reach of the Average Student

Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Biden v. Nebraska: “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the U.S. Department of Education exceeded its authority with its student loan forgiveness program. We respect the court’s decision. “We also respect the … Continued

Task Force Chaired by Jeh Johnson, Brad Karp To Review Legal Strategies for Maintaining Diversity in Wake of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

Brad Karp and Jeh Johnson The New York State Bar Association has launched a task force to recommend how colleges and businesses can maintain diversity in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions … Continued

New York State Bar Association Task Force Searches for Ways to Reduce Homelessness While Protecting Civil Liberties

The New York State Bar Association is launching a new task force that will examine the impact of homelessness and explore ways that governments can intervene so that fewer people will be living on the streets. More than 74,000 New Yorkers are homeless, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Homelessness is a crisis, … Continued

Abortion Pills Face Uncertain Future After Dobbs

After Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization made abortion unavailable in many states, an increasing number of patients have turned to the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol for medication abortions. But mifepristone is facing a challenge to its long-standing Food and Drug Administration approval. At a virtual webinar sponsored by the Women in Law Section, panelists … Continued