WHO WE ARE
We are the leading association for lawyers specializing in state and local government law and policy. Our members, including those in private practice, academia, the judiciary, and government, rely on us for the most up-to-date expert information on relevant issues and to exchange ideas and best practices for working with government agencies.
Our mission
– Provide a common meeting ground and impartial forum for those members of the Bar who are engaged in dealing with problems in local and state government law in any capacity;
– Further a better understanding of local and state government law through the holding of meetings and seminars, the making of studies, surveys and analysis and the dissemination of current information concerning judicial decisions, legislation and other matters of interest to attorneys practicing local and state government law;
– Formulate and submit to the members of the Section and the association such reports and recommendations as may be deemed useful to the profession and advisable in the public interest;
– Review pending legislation and promote or oppose the same in the name of the Section (or one of its committees) and, whenever in its judgment necessary or appropriate, initiate legislation;
– Further public interest through the practice of local and state government law; and
– Support access to justice through the promotion of voluntary participation in regional and local pro bono programs.
SECTION BENEFITS
- Continuing Legal Education courses/content – explore a variety of topics of interest to state and local government lawyers
- Up-to-date information on recent impactful legal developments. Check our blog
- Networking opportunities
- Opportunities to write and/or present as a subject matter expert
- Opportunity to participate in any of the Section’s standing committees.
- Access to online case research through Loislaw, a searchable directory of members,
- The Section’s newsletter, Municipal Law Journal,
- Materials and presentations from recent CLE programs.
SECTION CONTENT
The Local and State Government Law Section leads the way in introducing, monitoring, and evaluating legal developments in local and state government law. Section members address a wide range of legal areas, including municipal law, administrative law, environmental law, land use and real estate at both the federal and New York State level. This diverse membership supports the association’s mission to address and advance issues related to local and state government law. (Local and State Government Law Section – New York State Bar Association (nysba.org)
CONTACT US:
Contact the Local and State Government Law Section Liaison
To learn more about this Section, please contact Aila West
awest@nysba.org
(518) 487-5593
Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.
Adam L. Wekstein
Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP
Adam is a founding partner of Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP. He is the Chair of the Local and State Government Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. Wekstein’s practice concentrates on land use, zoning, environmental and constitutional law and appellate practice. He has handled numerous complex litigation matters on both the trial and appellate levels. He appears regularly before municipal agencies and boards seeking land use approvals and environmental permits. Mr. Wekstein has lectured and/or written articles regarding various zoning, environmental law, property rights and constitutional issues for the Local and State Government Law and Environmental Law Sections of the New York State Bar Association, Lorman Education Services, the Practicing Law Institute, The New York Zoning Law and Practice Report, The Urban Lawyer and the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation. Mr. Wekstein graduated from Cornell University and the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, cum laude, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He served as a law assistant at the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department.
Bylaws of the Local and State Government Law Section
Approved on January 17, 2024 and amended on January 18, 2024
In Accordance to Article IV, Section 1 of the By-Laws, here is the nominating report for the June 1, 2024 to May 21, 2025 term. The nominations have been voted on and approved at the Business portion of the Local and State Government Law Section’s Annual Meeting on January 17, 2024, following the lunch break at the Local and State Government Annual Meeting CLE program.
Report and recommendations of Local and State Government Law Section (Administrative Law Judges Updated Code of Conduct)
Approved by the House of Delegates on January 22, 2022
Ethics Litigation Papers
SCEC Felice Reply Affiramtion with Exhibit (PDF File)
SCEC Felice Afrirmation and Exhibits Filed 8-31-10 (PDF File)
SCEC Felice Affirmation in Opposition to Petition and In Support of Motion to Quash with Exhibits(PDF File)
SCEC Felice Affirmation (PDF File)
SCEC Felice Order 10-9-10 (PDF File)
SCEC Felice OTSC and Verified Petition Filed 8-31-10 (PDF File)
PERB Decision in Connection with Town of Islips Financial Disclosure Form (PDF File)
Lexjac, LLC v. Beckerman Appellate Division Brief (PDF File)
Lexjac, LLC v. Beckerman Memorandum and Order (PDF File)
Incorporated Village of PM Board of Trustees Report of Investigation (PDF File)
Putnam Valley Response (PDF File)
Putnam Valley Reply Memo (PDF File)
Putnam Valley MTD Memo (PDF File)
Putnam Valley Reply Affidavit (PDF File)
Putnam Valley Ethics Decision (PDF File)
Ives Hill Country Club (PDF File)
Ethics for Municipal Lawyers
The Local and State Government Law Section of the New York State Bar Association is proud to offer its members and members of the general public this complete resource center on Municipal Ethics. Below please find links to PDF versions of articles, statutes, and NYS Attorney General’s Opinion letters.
Legal Resources for Municipal Lawyers
Welcome to the Local and State Government Law Section’s Legal Resource Center!
To assist you with resources the Section has prepared accessible lists of resources available in New York State. Click below on the links to help guide you to our resources:
Sample Ethics Laws
While each of the following ethics laws may contain some deficiencies, such as lack of enforcement authority for the ethics board or an unnecessarily vague gifts provision, on the whole they offer a substantial improvement over Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and illustrate the types of effective local ethics laws municipalities have adopted. The Municipal Lawyers Ethics Columns link contains four columns from the Municipal Lawyer that discuss such laws and provide model provisions:
Enacting a Local Ethics Law-Part I: Code of Ethics (Adobe PDF File)
Enacting a Local Ethics Law-Part II: Disclosure (Adobe PDF File)
Enacting a Local Ethics Law-Part III: Administration (Adobe PDF File)
Local Ethics Laws: Model Administrative Provisions (Adobe PDF File).
Related Files
