Category: Latest News

Update: Congestion Pricing: A Case Study on Interstate Air Pollution Disputes

New York’s congestion pricing program was set to take effect on June 30, notwithstanding multiple pending legal challenges.[1] Then on June 5, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she was directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority – which is charged with implementing the program – to put the congestion pricing program on “indefinite pause.”[2] This announcement roiled … Continued

The Growing Use of Meditation at Work

When you think of meditation, an image of sitting cross legged on a yoga mat in a spa may come to mind. Increasingly, professionals are finding time to practice meditation without leaving the workplace. Over the past year, nearly 300 members of the New York State Bar Association have participated in the Mindful Moments Meditation … Continued

The Challenges of Being the Trustee of a Special Needs Trust

Over the last three decades, the use of a Special Needs Trust, also known as a Supplemental Needs Trust, has become the primary planning vehicle for persons with disabilities. If the trust is a First Party Special Needs Trust (one funded with assets belonging to or to be received by the disabled person), it will … Continued

New York State Bar Association Revolutionizes Bar Association Membership

Under the New York State Bar Association’s new membership model, members will receive thousands of hours of continuing legal education courses, membership to exclusive sections that focus on their interests, access to hundreds of automated forms that handle monotonous legal tasks and an unlimited number of articles on the latest legal developments – all for … Continued

NYSBA President Takes Part in Panel Investigating Civil Legal Service Needs in New York

New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano joined members of the Court of Appeals and Appellate Division at the annual Civil Legal Services hearing in Albany. The daylong hearing highlights the realities faced by attorneys dedicated to providing civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable New Yorkers. Napoletano and the other panelists heard testimony … Continued

Hundreds of Lawyers To Descend on Albany To Tackle Legal Issues Affecting Vulnerable New Yorkers

More than 500 lawyers from across the state will descend on Albany’s Capital Center for the New York State Bar Association’s two-day biennial Partnership Conference. The event offers more than two dozen programs and panels educating lawyers on issues such as affordable housing, immigration, education reform, consumer bankruptcy and student loan debt. The event kicks … Continued

New York’s Next Bar Exam: Where Should We Go From Here?

It’s been 10 years since New York faced the question of whether to adopt the Uniform Bar Exam. New York decided to do so, after much debate and dissent, with positive and negative consequences for law schools, students, the public and the practicing bar in New York. Now the question is whether to adopt the … Continued

Burden of Proof: Make It Stick

Attorneys (and, less often, parties) reach agreements with one another in litigation all the time. Being lawyers, of course, we cannot simply call them “agreements”; instead, we refer to them as “stipulations.” Lawyers’ stipulations can cover an almost infinite range of agreements, some relatively insignificant and some of the utmost importance. Stipulations can range from … Continued

Beyond 183 Days: Comparing Tax Residency in California and New York

Introduction Many high-net-worth foreign nationals are interested in purchasing residences and spending extended time in the United States but do not want to accidentally become U.S. taxpayers. While the initial inquiry from a foreign national might concern federal income and perhaps estate and gift tax, practitioners planning for high-net-worth foreign nationals should also consider state … Continued

Social Media 2.0: Transitioning From Law Student to Professional

The transition from student to professional is more than the job search and upgrading your wardrobe. A recent event sponsored by the Young Lawyers Section tackled the issue of reforming the use of social media for the newly licensed attorney. The event featured past NYSBA section chairs Mark Berman and Kim Wolf Price. Together they … Continued