As every litigator knows, where a defendant can be sued depends on a combination of long-arm statutes and due process considerations: The defendant has to have minimum contacts with the forum court before the defendant can be sued there. So typically, after a seller transfers a business to a buyer, a later plaintiff can establish … Continued
Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement on the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson: “Throughout his life, Jesse Jackson overcame prejudice and pushed America to become a more equitable society. His was a powerful and rhythmic voice of the civil rights movement and the conscience of numerous racial … Continued
The New York State Bar Association’s Women in Law Section is hosting a workshop on March 11 designed for female attorneys whose hard work and reliability have brought them success but not led to advancement. The course, entitled “Breaking the Manager Ceiling: For women navigating advancement, influence, and visibility in the legal profession,” focuses on … Continued
In honor of our 150th anniversary, we asked longtime, involved members for their recollections of the New York State Bar Association. Harriet Newman Cohen, who serves on the executive committee of the Family Law Section, recalled when her fellow bar members helped her husband during a medical emergency. “My husband fainted during a section meeting. … Continued
Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about the firing of U.S. Attorney Donald Kinsella: “The firing of U.S. Attorney Donald Kinsella is an insult to separation of powers and the administration of justice. The President and the Attorney General have demonstrated, yet again, that only loyalists and … Continued
Last December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act. The law phases out commercial harvests of horseshoe crabs, with a full ban by 2029. The New York State Bar Association is hosting a webinar to explain why there is a ban and what attorneys should know about it. Horseshoe crabs are a keystone … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet submitted testimony to the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees on Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026–27 Executive Budget, offering thoughtful guidance to the Legislature to ensure investments in public safety, legal representation, and court infrastructure are preserved and strengthened. A significant concern is the proposed diversion of hundreds of millions … Continued
The New York State Bar Association is launching a nine-part lunch and learn, continuing legal education program that will explore far-reaching issues on the use of artificial intelligence and its impact on the legal profession. The program “Listen and Learn and Enhance Your Understanding of AI, GAI, and Agentic AI in the Legal Profession”. The … Continued
The recent advancements in artificial intelligence are attracting many to use the technology in everyday practice. Such technology presents new opportunities and challenges for people without legal representation and the legal system. That shift reflects potential for improving accessibility to the legal system, and it is reshaping the dynamics of legal advocacy. Despite such advantages, … Continued
In his 2026 State of the Judiciary address, Chief Judge Rowan Wilson delivered a critique of the structural failures embedded in New York’s Family Court system—naming poverty, racial disproportionality, excessive caseloads, and systemic underinvestment as defining challenges. In doing so, he explicitly referenced the New York State Bar Association’s 2022 Report and Recommendations on Racial … Continued