Jeh Johnson, a partner with the law firm Paul, Weiss in New York City, has been recognized with the 2017 Honorable George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award, given by the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association. He is the immediate past secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the … Continued

“We are saddened to learn of the death of Sheila Abdus-Salaam, associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals,” said New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst. “Having grown up poor in a family of seven children in Washington, D.C., she rose to become one of the seven judges on New … Continued

“The state budget is a triumph for the cause of justice in New York,” New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst said today. She pointed to four measures that long have been Association legislative priorities and that NYSBA leaders and staff have consistently lobbied legislators to adopt: combating wrongful conviction; raising the age … Continued

The Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) has been honored with the New York State Bar Association’s 2017 Angelo T. Cometa Award for its longtime commitment to recruiting and training volunteer attorneys for pro bono work. Since 1990, volunteers from the private bar have provided pro bono help through VLP to thousands of residents in Brooklyn’s … Continued

Responding to the urgent need for lawyers to assist New York immigrants in need of representation, the New York State Bar Association and The New York Bar Foundation today announced an initiative to connect pro bono lawyers with nonprofit groups serving immigrants across New York. “When facing enforcement action, immigrants do not have a right … Continued

The New York State Bar Association decries President Trump’s budget proposal to eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corporation. “It would devastate the ability of many New Yorkers to obtain essential legal services in such life-altering cases as evictions from housing and obtaining protection from domestic violence. We must continue to protect our most vulnerable … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst today issued the following statement: “The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the misnamed “Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (S.237, H.R. 720), which we have long opposed. “The bill would restore discredited provisions initially enacted in 1983 that required judges to impose mandatory sanctions on what were … Continued

Whether New Yorkers are seeking a divorce and child support, challenging a speeding ticket, resolving a business dispute or serving on a jury, they must negotiate a complex and often baffling state court system. It is so complicated that Article VI of state Constitution requires more than 16,000 words to describe it. In contrast, the … Continued

Looking for a lawyer to handle a criminal matter, child custody issue, write your will, help with a landlord-tenant problem or other legal issues? New Yorkers now have a new, convenient way to find a lawyer in their community who has the experience to handle their legal issue. The New York State Bar Association’s trusted … Continued

New York State Bar President Claire P. Gutekunst today issued the following statement: “We urge Congress to reject a bill (S.237, H.R. 720) that misleadingly is labeled the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA). “The bill’s supporters assert that it would discourage the filing of ‘frivolous lawsuits.’  In fact, by reinstating a sanctions regime that policymakers … Continued