The New York State Bar Association today is mourning the loss of former Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals George Bundy Smith. “Judge George Bundy Smith was a pioneer in the efforts for greater diversity and inclusiveness in the legal profession,” said New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman. … Continued

Women attorneys remain considerably underrepresented in courtrooms across the state as well as in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), according to a report issued by the Commercial & Federal Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association. The report entitled “If Not Now, When? Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR,” … Continued

The New York State Bar Association strongly urges the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote Thursday to significantly increase the funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) from the amount proposed by its subcommittee. “To carry out its critical mission, the Corporation needs a significant increase in its current funding of … Continued

Lesley Rosenthal, executive vice-president and general counsel of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, was honored with the New York State Bar Association’s Root/Stimson Award. State Bar President Sharon Stern Gerstman presented the award to Rosenthal earlier this month at the Association’s House of Delegates meeting in Cooperstown. The award, … Continued

The New York State Bar Association today calls on the House of Representatives to reject a bill (H.R. 1215) that would impose new restrictive federal rules when injured New Yorkers file medical malpractice suits against doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and others, even in state courts. “Such federal activity would usurp the states’ rights to develop … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman today praised the state Senate for swiftly confirming the nomination of Appellate Judge Paul G. Feinman as an associate justice on the state Court of Appeals. “Justice Feinman possesses strong skills that will serve him well as associate judge,” Gerstman told the Senate Judiciary Committee on … Continued

The New York State Bar Association is calling for a state Constitutional Convention, because New York “should not forfeit this rare, generational opportunity to modernize and significantly improve the Constitution that forms the foundation of state government.” On November 7, New Yorkers will vote on whether to authorize a Constitutional Convention which, if approved, would … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman today applauded Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nomination of Paul Feinman as an associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. She called for timely confirmation of Feinman by the state Senate. The State Bar Association has rated Feinman as “well qualified” to serve on the … Continued

Frederick K. Brewington has been awarded the New York State Bar Association’s 2017 Haywood Burns Memorial Award. The award was given by the Association’s Committee on Civil Rights at a reception June 13 at the City University of New York School of Law. “As a civil rights lawyer, Fred has spent his career providing a … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Sharon Stern Gerstman today sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo with the Association’s ratings for the seven candidates under consideration for associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. The Governor must designate his choice between June 16 and June 30, 2017. The nominee then must … Continued