January 24, 2014: New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting to Address Civil Rights, Social Media, Cybersecurity, Nonprofits, Legal and Civics Education
1.24.2014
The New York State Bar Association’s 137th Annual Meeting in New York City will feature discussions on legal education, the future of the legal profession, social media and Internet security and the need for greater civics education.
More than 4,000 attorneys are expected to attend the weeklong conference at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan from Monday, January 27, through Saturday, February 1.
Scheduled speakers include: James R. Silkenat, president of the American Bar Association (ABA); Jonathan Lippman, chief judge of the State of New York State; Judith S. Kaye, former chief judge of the State of New York; Michael Danilack, deputy commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service; James M. Cole, deputy U.S. attorney general; Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union; and Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project.
On Saturday evening, Long Island attorney Louis A. Craco, an advocate for professionalism and reform in the legal profession, will be presented with the Gold Medal, the association’s highest award. It recognizes lifelong excellence in the legal profession and constructive contributions to civic and community matters.
The centerpiece of the Annual Meeting will be the Presidential Summit on Wednesday, January 29, from 2 to 5 p.m. The summit, hosted by President David M. Schraver of Rochester (Nixon Peabody), will feature panel discussions on legal education and the legal profession.
The first forum will address developments in legal education, including the cost of law school, curriculum, the bar exam and its relevance to legal practice, and the job market facing new law school graduates. Silkenat, who heads the ABA as it prepares to issue a comprehensive report on legal education, will moderate the panel. The keynote address will be delivered by William M. Sullivan, founding director of Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers and primary author of the groundbreaking 2007 Carnegie Report on the future of legal education.
The second forum will discuss the challenges facing the legal profession, including new technology, the changing economic climate, new demands from clients, globalization and changes in law-related services. The panel will be moderated by former State Bar President Stephen P. Younger of New York City (Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler). The keynote address will be delivered by Bruce MacEwen, president of Adam Smith Inc. consulting group and author of “Growth is Dead: Now What? Law firms on the brink.”
On Friday, January 31, the State Bar’s House of Delegates will hold its quarterly meeting. Among the items on the agenda are a report and recommendations on civics education by the association’s Law Youth and Citizenship Committee.
Other highlights of the Annual Meeting:
Til Death Do Us Part: Speakers at the meeting of the Trusts and Estates Law Section will address changes in marriage and estate law in the wake of the United States v. Windsor decision on same-sex marriage, and other developments in the law. Thursday, January 29, 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.
Immediately after the forum, at 12:55 p.m., Alexia D. Koritz of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, the law firm that represented Edith “Edie” Windsor, will deliver the keynote address recounting the case.
Education Under Fire: This forum sponsored by the Committee on Law Youth and Citizenship will cover such education-related issues as student data privacy, free speech rights and the right to a sound basic education. Wednesday, January 29, 9 a.m. to noon.
Digitally Interactive: This forum on social media ethics, sponsored by the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, will encourage participants to tweet live from the event. Panelists will address such issues as incriminating postings, requests for legal services made in a chat room, and the potential conflicts of being “connected” to individuals on social media sites. Wednesday, January 29, 8:40 a.m. to noon.
Hydrofracking: The Environmental Law Section will host a forum on the state’s natural gas regulations and the ethical and practice issues this gas-drilling method creates for environmental lawyers. Thursday, January 30, 8:40 to 11:10 a.m.
The New York State Bar Association, with 75,000 members, is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. It was founded in 1876.
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Contact: Mark Mahoney
Associate Director of Media Services
518/487-5532
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