Our New Membership Model – Increasing Value for You

Our New Membership Model – Increasing Value for You

10.21.2024

By Domenick Napoletano

The launch of our new membership model is among the most exciting and significant initiatives that the New York State Bar Association has undertaken in its nearly 150-year history.

I can’t help but be excited about this because it will allow me to do my job more efficiently by providing me with an abundance of cost-efficient tools.

I understand that our profession, like many others, is going through a dramatic transformation.

Technological advances have changed how we conduct business by providing us with other ways to deliver services to our members who want to be able to interact with us seamlessly.

Our new membership model exemplifies this. With this change, NYSBA membership is more invaluable than ever before, making it easier for you to take advantage of our vast collection of forms, publications and continuing legal education classes for one single price. You can connect to whatever services or products you want with the click of a mouse or the touch of a phone – like you do with all the other subscriptions in your life.

Our automated forms allow you to expand your practice; they are especially helpful for solo practitioners and lawyers who work in small and medium-sized firms. No longer will you have to refer clients to other attorneys to file a divorce, complete a real estate transaction or draft a will, because the forms will allow you to do the work yourself.

Our offerings include this year’s debut of 20 series of online, fillable forms ranging from criminal law to commercial real estate in addition to over 1700 on-demand CLE programs, along with 26 section publications and newsletters. In addition, there are approximately 500 articles available on the News Center of our website, where you can also connect to more than 1,000 ethics opinions that our Committee on Professional Ethics has published since its inception in 1952. Your enrollment will also include the New York State Law Digest, a monthly wrap-up of significant Court of Appeals’ decisions, and two section memberships.

I can assure you from my own experience that belonging to a section is one of our association’s greatest benefits.

I am a member of the Real Property Law, Trial Lawyers and General Practice sections and have previously been part of the Corporate Counsel and Commercial and Federal Litigation sections. I have been a been a member of our association for over 40 years, and my section affiliations have helped make me a better lawyer. I regularly exchange practice tips with those who share my interests.

My connection to these outstanding groups also opened opportunities for me to take on challenging and rewarding leadership roles, including co-chairing the Emergency Task Force for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners and the Task Force on Virtual Discovery and Trials. I also served as treasurer of the association from 2018 to 2023.

I have developed lifelong relationships, collaborated on cases and mentored some extremely talented new lawyers. My involvement has led to deep connections with some of the world’s most accomplished and respected attorneys. Our advocacy has allowed me to help shape the law.

As you know, our connection with each other is a valuable resource. We are a supportive community; we are colleagues, and we are friends.

That is why being a member of this association has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. We hope you join us, whether you are a few years removed from law school or a seasoned practitioner looking for an outlook to share your expertise.

In closing, our ability to advocate for our members is dependent upon our knowledge of how to best serve them in the 21st century. Our new membership model will help us reach that goal.