Author: Rebecca Melnitsky

NYSBA Opposes Senate Legislation Linking Broadband Funding to Prohibition of Artificial Intelligence Regulations

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New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet sent a letter June 26 to New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, expressing “our opposition to the proposed provision in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation that would condition state access to federal broadband funding on a prohibition of state-level regulations of artificial intelligence.” “In 2020, the … Continued

Tackling Aging and Cognitive Decline in the Legal Profession

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What should be done when a lawyer starts to forget important information? What happens when that interferes with representing clients or running a firm? Does that mean it is time to stop practicing law? The New York State Bar Association tackled the difficult issue of aging-related cognitive decline in lawyers and the effects on the … Continued

New York State Bar Association Supports Birthright Citizenship

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Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement today about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on birthright citizenship: “The U.S. Supreme Court did not rule today on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship but on the right of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions pausing the administration’s Executive Orders. The … Continued

How Nonprofits Can Protect Immigrant Clients

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Nonprofits need to stay on top of developments in immigration law as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, arrests and deports more non-citizens. The New York State Bar Association recently hosted a seminar focusing on the changes the administration has made to immigration enforcement, and how nonprofits can best protect their staff and the immigrant … Continued

LGBTQ+ Lawyers Are Out and Open in the Legal Profession

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For LGBTQ+ attorneys, feeling welcome and included in the legal profession means finding community and being visible. The New York State Bar Association recently hosted a discussion between LGBTQ+ attorneys about being their full selves at work in honor of Pride Month. The speakers were: Sam Buchbauer, LGBTQ+ Law Section chair and associate attorney at … Continued

Member Spotlight: Elizabeth Cooper

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Elizabeth Cooper is a professor of law and faculty director of the Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham University School of Law, and a former member of the LGBTQ+ Law Section’s Executive Committee.  Who are your heroes in the legal world? Like many of us, my heroes are those who were tenacious enough, and … Continued

NYSBA To Host Free Seminar on How Schools, Places of Worship, and Health Care Centers Can Respond to Immigration Enforcement

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The New York State Bar Association is hosting a free seminar addressing the impact of immigration law enforcement on schools, places of worship, and medical facilities. “Schools, churches, synagogues, mosques and health care centers need to know what actions they can take to protect students, patients and employees while complying with the law,” said Kathleen … Continued

New York State Bar Association Supports Bill To End Anonymous Child Abuse Reporting

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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 Urges Legislators To Refrain From Passing Bill That Changes Judicial Districts

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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