New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet issued the following statement on the passage of A66/S550, which makes New York’s Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Mistreatment fairer to parents: “Anonymous reporting to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Mistreatment is a flawed policy that harms thousands of New York families … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet issued the following statement regarding bills A8883/S8418, which seek to add new judicial districts in New York State: “The New York State Bar Association fully supports increasing the diversity of the judiciary. Diversity in the courts has been a longstanding policy of the association. Before making statutory … Continued
Richard Marchese Jr., the new chair of the New York State’s Bar Association’s Elder Law and Special Needs Section, aims to guide his fellow practitioners through the many challenges in the field. “What stands out with our section is the passion of our members for the work they do,” Marchese said. “And what we do … Continued
Alexandra Simels, the new chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, sees her new leadership role as an opportunity to help lawyers connect, get involved, and speak out. “I think that it’s our responsibility as attorneys to not only be involved with the practice itself, but how it shapes so many … Continued
Amy Kendall, the new chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Environmental and Energy Law Section, knows the importance of the rule of law. “Environmental and energy law impacts every aspect of a person’s life,” she said. “Clean air, clean water – it’s essential, and we see it as our responsibility to make sure … Continued
Court of Appeals Associate Judge Michael Garcia will receive the Honorable George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award from the New York State Bar Association in recognition of his commitment to justice and public service. “For his work as U.S. Attorney investigating and prosecuting high-profile terrorism cases and his distinguished service on the bench, we are proud … Continued
As the next president, Kathleen Sweet knows the most important resource of the New York State Bar Association is its members. “Unless we maintain and grow membership, the rest of it doesn’t matter,” Sweet said. “We can’t defend the rule of law, we can’t support access to justice, we can’t defend the impartiality of the … Continued
For Helene Hechtkopf, the incoming chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, programming comes first. “It’s very easy to attend things from your office, but you miss out on all the interpersonal connections,” she said. “You still get the education. But you don’t get all the interpersonal stuff that … Continued
A little-known international court can give LGBTQ+ people a chance at justice outside of their local legal systems. A recent New York State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education course explained the Inter-American Human Rights System, its court system, and its impact on LGBTQ+ rights in the Americas. Leading the discussion was Gustavo Miranda Coutinho, a … Continued
Mark Ustin, the incoming chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Health Law Section, is ready to support practitioners in a diverse and ever-changing field. “One of the things that’s interesting about health law is that it encompasses so many different disciplines,” Ustin said. “One of the challenges I think we have as a … Continued