Barbara Finkelstein, CEO of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), and the late Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, who served as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals, were honored with 2018 Diversity Trailblazer awards on January 22 at the State Bar’s Annual Meeting in New York City. The award was presented by the State … Continued

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 – 2-5 PM NYS BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT TO EXAMINE RACE, SLAVERY AND MASS INCARCERATION. PANELISTS INCLUDE BRONX DA DARCEL CLARK, CHANTÁ PARKER OF THE INNOCENCE PROJECT, JEFFERY ROBINSON OF THE ACLU Wednesday, January 24 2-5 pm New York Hilton Midtown 1335 Avenue of the Americas, between 53rd and … Continued

The Honorable Lisa Margaret Smith, United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of New York, is the 2018 recipient of the Kay Crawford Murray Award presented by the Committee on Women in the Law of the New York State Bar Association. “Judge Smith’s contributions as a jurist, coupled with her commitment to mentoring and … Continued

The New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) 141st Annual Meeting in New York City January 22 through 26 will include programs on mass incarceration of people of color, cannabis law, professional and business development for women attorneys, the impact of electronic communications on attorney-client relationships, new federal tax law, effects of federal policy on public … Continued

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

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

New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman today urged for the continuation of adequate funding of the state court system to ensure access to justice for all New Yorkers. “We continue to emphasize that the Judiciary is the co-equal third branch of government. While we do not expect that funding for the courts … Continued

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

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

The New York State Bar Association joins the entire nation and legal community in mourning the victims of the Las Vegas shooting. “We extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to everyone whose lives have been devastated by this despicable act of violence,” said State Bar President Sharon Stern Gerstman. “It is time to seriously consider … Continued