January 12, 2016: Social Media and Possible NYS Constitutional Convention Highlight NYS Bar Association’s Presidential Summit

January 12, 2016: Social Media and Possible NYS Constitutional Convention Highlight NYS Bar Association’s Presidential Summit

1.12.2016

By Communications Department

Two concepts, both revolutionary to society in their times—social media and the New York State Constitution—are the focus of the New York State Bar Association’s Presidential Summit on January 27 in New York City.

The Presidential Summit will be held Wednesday, January 27, from 2—5 p.m. at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan. It is the centerpiece of the Association’s week-long Annual Meeting, expected to attract more than 4,000 attorneys, from Monday, January 25 through Saturday, January 30.

“The Presidential Summit examines two issues of great importance to attorneys and the public, the use of social media by legal professionals and how the state Constitution affects the way we practice law as well as the lives of New Yorkers,” said David P. Miranda of Albany (Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti), president of the New York State Bar Association. “Both topics will yield thought-provoking debates of issues at the forefront of our profession and New York State.”

Social Media and the Legal Profession

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and other social media tools are changing the practice of law. This program looks at mining social media for evidence, juror research and attorney marketing and the need to comply with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Ari Kaplan, legal analyst and author of “Reinventing Professional Services: Building Your Business in the Digital Marketplace,”will deliver a keynote address showcasing social media savvy for client service and litigation, as well as “shaping your profile.”

He also will moderate a panel discussion with Mark A. Berman (Ganfer & Shore), chair-elect of the Association’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section; Nicole Black, attorney and author of “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier;” and Casey Sullivan, a journalist with Big Law Business, a Bloomberg BNA website.

The social media program will be held from 2—3:25 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27.  Attorneys attending are eligible for 1.5 Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits.

Possible New York State Constitutional Convention

More than two centuries ago, in the midst of the American Revolution, New Yorkers drafted their first state Constitution, forcing delegates to evade British troops as they met. The document was written in 1776—1777, predating the drafting of the U.S. Constitution by a decade.

Since then, the New York State Constitution has been amended and rewritten numerous times. The current document has a clause that mandates a statewide referendum every 20 years asking, “Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?”  That question will be on the ballot Nov.  7, 2017.

This program will focus on the potential impact that a constitutional convention might have on the legal profession and the public. Henry Greenberg (Greenberg Traurig), chair of the Association’s Committee on the New York State Constitution, will moderate a discussion featuring Professor Gerald Benjamin, State University of New York at New Paltz; Professor Richard Briffault, Columbia Law School; and former state Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch.

The state Constitution program will be held from 3:45—5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27.

Attorneys attending are eligible for 1.5 Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits.

The New York State Bar Association, with 74,000 members, is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. It was founded in 1876.

Contact: Lise Bang-Jensen
Director of Media Services and Public Affairs
[email protected]
518-487-5530