Lawyers are twice as likely to experience thoughts of suicide than other professionals with stress, isolation and mental illness as the greatest risk factors leading to suicide. Similarly, older adults are at a much higher risk for suicide than other age groups according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. These sobering statistics were part … 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
AI Agents and the Rise of Virtual Task Makers Artificial intelligence has evolved rapidly, progressing from simple automation tools to sophisticated systems capable of independent decision-making. At its core, AI refers to computer programs that mimic human intelligence by learning from data, recognizing patterns and performing tasks with minimal human intervention. A subset of AI, … 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
The New York State Bar Association kicked off a free course on the calming technique known as emotional freedom in conjunction with Well-Being Week in Law and Mental Health Awareness month. Well-Being Week in Law was launched in 2020 to raise awareness about the special mental health needs of those in the legal profession. “Attorney … Continued
It’s not the holiday season, but New York practitioners often have “Santa clauses” on their minds. These clauses, which are included in some New York estate planning documents, were introduced by practitioners several years ago to account for the New York “estate tax cliff” regime. Specifically, New York law provides a credit against estate tax … Continued
New York State Bar Association President-Elect Kathleen Sweet and Mary Beth Morrissey, NYSBA member and chair of the Health Law Section and the Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying, met with key staff in the New York State Senate to advocate for the Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID), A.136(Paulin)/S.138(Hoylman-Sigal) Thursday at the New … Continued
In a close final, Syracuse’s Nottingham High School beat New York City’s Hunter College High School to win the New York State Bar Association Mock Trial Competition. Teams faced off in the fictional civil case, Leyton Manns vs. Sandy Townes, in which school Superintendent Leyton Manns accused student Sandy Townes of creating AI-generated content to … Continued
To the Forum: I have been an attorney with a prominent New York law firm for the past several years. During my tenure, I have gained a vast client base and a lot of experience, for which I am grateful. However, I feel that I am ready to move on and open my own private … Continued