In March 2023, bank regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and appointed the FDIC as liquidator. Signature Bank in particular provided banking services to many New York law firms and, therefore, held many attorney trust or escrow accounts. While most bank and credit union deposits benefit from federal insurance issued by the Federal … Continued
The report of the association’s Task Force on Advancing Diversity recommends colleges and graduate schools that want to achieve diversity should eliminate the preferential treatment in admissions given to athletes, the children of alumni and the family of donors. The report also recommends moving away from standardized tests and grade point averages and focusing … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Richard Lewis issued the following statement about Dennis W.H. Kwok: Recently, the Hong Kong government issued an arrest warrant and a bounty of HK$1,000,000 (about US$127,500) for Dennis W.H. Kwok, a Hong Kong barrister, accusing him of committing an offense under Hong Kong’s draconian National Security Law for “collusion … Continued
In late September, after months of negotiation between state governors and President Joe Biden, the United States will grant temporary deportation relief and access to work permits to Venezuelan migrants already in the country. Nearly half a million migrants who arrived here before July 31 will be eligible for temporary protected status for 18 months. … Continued
Kapil Longani is senior vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel for the State University of New York, which is comprised of 64 campuses across New York State. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Advancing Diversity. Longani recently published an essay on the decision by his … Continued
In 2015, 19-year-old Alecia Faith Pennington gained viral internet fame as “The Girl Who Doesn’t Exist.”[1] Alecia was home-birthed and raised in Texas. Her parents never secured her a birth certificate or Social Security number, never enrolled her in school and never took her to a hospital.[2] Without these vital records, Alecia could not get … Continued
Co-Chairs Brad Karp, Jeh Johnson and Loretta Lynch with President Richard Lewis and members of the Task Force on Advancing Diversity. Photo credit: David Handschuh/OCA In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, colleges and graduate schools that want to achieve diversity should eliminate the preferential treatment in admissions given to … Continued
A dozen representatives of civil legal service organizations, family court, and advocacy groups testified before a panel at the Court of Appeals in Albany led by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson. Panelists included Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas, Presiding Justice Gerald Whalen (Fourth Department), Presiding Justice Hector LaSalle (Second Department), Presiding Justice Dianne Renwick (First Department) … Continued
Employers are using artificial intelligence to make hiring decisions – but they must ensure that the AI does not enable discrimination. A recent Continuing Legal Education course – sponsored by the Labor & Employment Law Section and the Committee on Technology and the Legal Profession – covered new developments in employment law as it relates … Continued
On June 29, 2023, the U.S Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions (“SFFA”) v. President and Fellow of Harvard; SFFA v. University of North Carolina (“UNC”) effectively prohibited the consideration of an applicant’s racial status as a factor in admissions. Although the court made clear that direct consideration of an applicant’s race as an admission … Continued