Spouses who are or have been subjected to domestic abuse by their spouses (or ex-spouses) may find themselves dealing with threatening notices from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the state taxing authorities seeking to collect tax from them for understatements or underpayments of tax on joint returns previously filed with the abusing spouse. Fortunately, … Continued
Lawyers interested in protecting the rule of law and promoting democracy in what is shaping up to be a polarizing election year have plenty of ways to get involved. At a presentation hosted by the New York State Bar Association, speakers discussed ways the legal community can help the public understand how democracy works and … Continued
On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdering 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. The brutality of these crimes – including rape, murder, maiming, and kidnapping – has international human rights experts considering a new category of war crime: kinocide, or the purposeful targeting of families. At an informational session hosted by the New York … Continued
The New York State Bar Association is pleased to provide this Government Relations 2024 NYS legislative session update highlighting major NYSBA policy that was acted on by the New York State legislature, as well as other Association legislative success in New York State and Washington D.C. The NYS 2024 legislative session came to an end … Continued
Jacob Petterchak, the new chair of NYSBA’s Young Lawyers Section, started attending state bar events shortly after law school out of a sense of obligation but quickly realized how valuable the programs were. And he enjoyed them too. “I volunteered for the section last year and was then nominated to take on the position as … Continued
More than one-third of the children in the New York City foster care system are LGBTQ+, according to the city’s Administration for Children’s Services. At an informational session presented by the New York State Bar Association, panelists discussed the challenges facing these children and how lawyers, court personnel, and foster care agencies could best meet … Continued
Lauren Sharkey is a partner at Cioffi, Slezak & Wildgrube, a women-owned and -operated law firm in Schenectady, N.Y. She serves on the New York State Bar Association’s Executive Committee and is a past chair of the Young Lawyers Section. Sharkey is a member of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section and the Trusts … Continued
The main goal of my presidency is to meaningfully reduce impediments to the efficient practice of law for our members. I know that may sound ambitious, and perhaps even somewhat ambiguous, and that the implantation of this goal will likely take longer than my one year in office to complete. However, creating value for our … Continued
Helen Naves, the recently-installed co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Membership Committee, wants to bring the far-flung lawyers of the association closer together in her new role. An international banking lawyer with a practice in São Paulo, Brazil, Naves will be joining Michelle Wildgrube, partner at Cioffi Slezak Wildgrube, as co-chair. “I’m super … Continued
The Copyright Act ensures that its protections extend to creative works even after the death of the author. However, no copyright can last forever, and, as of Jan. 1, 2024, an iconic American cartoon has now entered the public domain: Steamboat Willie.[1] For those unfamiliar with Disney lore, the cartoon is synonymous with the character … Continued