David Louis Cohen Seeks President-Elect Position at NYSBA
8.12.2024
I view participation in bar association activities as an integral part of my professional life.
It is a responsibility that comes with being a practicing attorney. Working with lawyers
from all parts of the state and all types of practices to better the profession and to
improve the delivery of legal services is a way to give back to the profession that has
given so much to me. I want to continue to contribute to the profession by serving as
president-elect.
My service on the Executive Committee; as a member of the House of Delegates; and
as a member of various committees and task forces, were most rewarding experiences
and provided me with insight in to the variety of issues that confront our association
and its leadership. My varied professional and bar association activities provide me with
the ability to analyze issues not only from a legal perspective, but from a practical and
political point of view as well.
As president-elect, I know that I will be able to provide effective leadership by working
collaboratively with my fellow officers, the Executive Committee and association staff.
I believe that as a leader it is imperative to listen to and take input from all sides of an
issue. Most importantly, I will strive to arrive at consensus based solutions to the
myriad of issues that the association will be required to address in the coming years.
Our association is losing membership at the rate of approximately 3% a year. When
surveyed, a significant number, between 25% and the 30%, indicated the reason for
leaving was the association’s continued focus on issues that do not directly relate to its
core mission, which is to improve the practice of law for our
members, support the rule of law and increase access to justice. This is not to say that
our positions are incorrect; however, it does speak to the need for a directional change.
Our subscription membership model is a step in the right direction. It will provide
members with the resources they need, such as forms, electronic books and publications,
and section memberships. This will be especially valuable to newly admitted lawyers, and
small and solo practitioners. It will enable them to expand and improve their practices
so that they can provide the best possible legal services to their clients.
This association has a long and storied history of support for access to justice and the
rule of law. As a life long criminal defense attorney, I know first hand how vital these
issues are to a free and democratic society. In these troubling times, where both of these
core issues are under attack, I want to lead our association in speaking out in defense
of the rule of law and expanding access to justice for all.
