Category: News Releases

January 2, 2018: New York State Bar Association Praises Appointment of Elizabeth Garry and Alan Scheinkman as Presiding Justices

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) President Sharon Stern Gerstman today lauded the appointments of the Honorable Alan D. Scheinkman as presiding justice of the Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department and the Honorable Elizabeth A. Garry as presiding justice for the Appellate Division for the Third Judicial Department. “Justices Garry and Scheinkman bring … Continued

December 5, 2017: New York State Bar Association Creates New Committees to Examine Cannabis and Transportation Law

To address two areas of the law that are continuously evolving, the New York State Bar Association has created new committees to study cannabis and transportation law. Believing there was a void for lawyers to share developments in cannabis law with their peers, the State Bar’s Executive Committee established a Committee on Cannabis Law. The … Continued

November 9, 2017: State Bar Supports Two Groundbreaking Recommendations Regarding Online Forms, NY Trust Code

The New York State Bar Association has approved two groundbreaking reports with recommendations that, if adopted by the Legislature, “will help protect consumers who use online legal documents and will simplify, modernize and update New York’s trust law,” announced Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman of Buffalo (Magavern, Magavern and Grimm LLP). Regulation of online legal … Continued

November 7, 2017: State Bar Association Adopts Report On Gender Disparity In The Courtroom, Commemorates Women’s Suffrage Centennial

The New York State Bar Association’s House of Delegates has approved a report that determined women attorneys remain considerably underrepresented in courtrooms across the state as well as in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The report entitled “If Not Now, When? Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR,” was compiled by the … Continued

October 19, 2017: NYS Bar Responds to Proposed Judicial Case Completion Deadlines, Urges Statutory Right to Counsel for Immigrants

New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman today released the following statement in response to Trump Administration-proposed case completion deadlines and quotas on immigration judges. Gerstman also urged legislative reform and a statutory right to counsel for immigrants facing legal issues: “The New York State Bar Association has long supported judicial independence as … Continued

September 25, 2017: State Bar President Urges Support of Bar Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund

Sharon Stern Gerstman, president of the New York State Bar Association, today issued the following statement encouraging support of The New York Bar Foundation’s disaster relief fund:  “Over the past several weeks, we have watched as hurricanes brought destruction to Houston, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and—most recently and intensively—Puerto Rico. Rebuilding needs will be … Continued

September 19, 2017: New York State Bar Association Kicks Off Campaign to Restructure Courts, Modernize Voting and Streamline NYS Constitution

The New York State Bar Association today called on New Yorkers to “vote yes” on a referendum to authorize a Constitutional Convention to re-think how state government operates. “Our state Constitution is broken. It is badly in need of repair,” said Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman. “New Yorkers deserve better. You can make a difference. … Continued