The New York State Bar Association honored civil legal services champion Rachel Chazin Halperin with its W. Haywood Burns Award for decades of service to Hudson Valley residents. Named for the civil rights attorney who worked with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and rose to prominence as New York’s first African American law school dean, … Continued
In 2025 and 2026, we celebrate the centenary of the Federal Arbitration Act and the birth of the American Arbitration Association. These tandem events are no coincidence. These twin celebrations present the rare opportunity to examine the relationship and recognize the central contribution of visionary and strategic New York lawyers to today’s vastly expanded world … Continued
Over the course of writing this article, I had the honor of participating in a Sankofa ceremony commemorating a Black man who was lynched in the Adirondacks in 1932. His name is lost to history.[1] Rooted in cultural traditions from the Akan people of Ghana, Sankofa ceremonies emphasize the importance of reconnecting with the past … Continued
Kathy Suchocki, who has been key to the New York State Bar Association’s success for more than 20 years, has been appointed as the association’s new executive director, a post she has held on an interim basis since the end of 2025. She takes over for Pamela McDevitt who led the association for nine years … Continued
Good morning: We continue to celebrate our 150th anniversary and especially the recent gains in membership. Due to the hard work of so many people, we are reaping the benefits of the new membership model, realizing historic growth within our sections and a surge in overall membership. Membership in each section has grown by at … Continued
In my day-to-day work I meet a lot of attorneys who know they need to plan for their eventual retirement but just don’t have the time or resources to explore their options. Many come from backgrounds at larger firms with 401(k) plans and assume that because they now practice alone, they don’t have access to … Continued
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dramatically increased arrests and deportations. The New York State Bar Association urges passage of legislation that will ensure that immigrants have lawyers to represent them in detention proceedings. On Saturday, the New York State Bar Association’s governing body, the House of Delegates, adopted a report from its Committee on Immigration … Continued
In honor of our 150th anniversary, we asked longtime, involved members for their recollections of the New York State Bar Association. Anthony Enea, past chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section, remembered the successful fight against a law that criminalized advising clients on transfers of assets to qualify for Medicaid, otherwise known as … Continued
Seth Rosner, chair of the Trial Lawyers Section, believes that the more involved you are with the New York State Bar Association the more valuable your membership becomes. “I didn’t realize how significant being an active member in the bar association could be until I got involved,” Rosner said. “We all have competing interests for … Continued
On Jan. 7, we marked 10 years since the passing of Judith S. Kaye, the first woman to serve on the New York Court of Appeals and to this day its longest-serving chief judge. During her lifetime, Judge Kaye was recognized and lauded for her brilliant legal mind and innovative executive skills and in death … Continued