Category: Latest News

What Matters Most to Lawyers: Takeaways From My Statewide Listening Tour

President Richard Lewis (fourth from right) and President-Elect Domenick Napoletano (far left) have met with more than 50 bar associations across the state since June. During the first 150 days of my presidency, I have crisscrossed the state, meeting with as many leaders of affinity, local, county, national and international bar associations as possible. Our listening … Continued

Daughter of Civil Rights Activists Who Helped Organize March on Washington To Explore its Legacy for 60th Anniversary

Renowned artist, educator and social justice advocate Hasna Muhammad will examine the legacy of the March on Washington and the continued fight for equity at a commemoration marking the march’s 60th anniversary. Her parents, actors and activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, helped organize the first march in 1963. At that first march, 200,000 demonstrators … Continued

Excellence in Mandated Representation: Revised Indigent Legal Services Appellate Standards

What does it mean to be a quality appellate attorney? What are essential elements of appellate representation? Should there be a difference in the caliber of representation for clients who retain counsel and those who are entitled to assigned counsel – so-called “mandated representation” or “public defense” for criminal and family cases? Those were among … Continued

Annual Review of New Criminal Justice Legislation

This article contains the annual review of new legislation amending the Penal Law (PL), Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) and related statutes. The discussion that follows will highlight key provisions of the new laws and, as such, the reader should review the legislation for specific details. In some instances, where indicated, legislation enacted by both houses … Continued

Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Legal Profession

Panelists at a New York State Bar Association conference predicted that lawyers who are in charge of high-level legal strategies for clients have nothing to fear from artificial intelligence, but the jobs of attorneys who conduct the research and draft the legal documents will change dramatically. “The battle won’t be between humans and AI but … Continued

Overload: Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege With Today’s Communications Tools

Attorneys have an obligation to maintain records of all client communication (as well as many other communications with third parties).[1] We are further often tasked with obtaining communications as part of the discovery process. However, while technology has made communication faster and simpler, it has also created a morass of record keeping.[2] Clients also have … Continued

What Happens When AI Is Evidence

As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, judges, juries and attorneys will have to know what to do when these technologies are evidence in court cases. A recent  New York State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education course focused on what may happen and how lawyers can present evidence in court when judges and juries are not … Continued

New York’s Unregulated Litigation Lending Industry

  Third-party litigation lending is booming, but at whose expense? Litigation loans are advance payments to individuals or companies to finance lawsuits in exchange for a portion of the potential legal recovery. Demand for this lending has substantially increased “with no signs of slowing down,” according to Westfleet Advisors, which tracks the industry.1 Moreover, the industry … Continued