Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about Gov. Kathy Hochul signing the Clean Slate Act into law: “This is a monumental day for equal treatment in New York. The law now recognizes that offenders who have paid their debt to society should not be permanently marked by … Continued
Social media affects the public’s perception and results of jury trials – and legal experts are examining the true impact. Brian Donnelly and Gary Muhlstock, partners at Cullen and Dykman, discussed how social media has already affected court cases in a New York State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education course. The Effect on Jurors “Does … Continued
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Vincent Chang and Brian Cohen, co-chairs of the Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate After former President Donald Trump called COVID-19 the “Chinese virus” in a tweet on March 16, 2020, tweets with anti-Asian hashtags rose dramatically in the week that followed. In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League reported the highest number of antisemitic … Continued
Statistics on gun violence bear the grim reality that cases of domestic violence turn deadly more often if there are firearms in the home. “Having a gun in the home increases the risk of homicide 20 times when there is a history of domestic violence,” says Ronell McGlothan, a domestic violence advocate coordinator at the … Continued
The New York State Bar Association is launching a task force that will come up with recommendations on how best to prosecute hate crimes against Asian Americans and Jewish Americans and examine what can be done about the alarming increase in hate crimes. “Hate does not belong in our communities,” said New York State Bar … Continued
LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV do not trust the criminal legal system, according to a survey conducted by Lambda Legal in partnership with Black and Pink National and Strength in Numbers Consulting Group. Richard Saenz, senior attorney at Lambda Legal and project manager for the survey, discussed the results at a continuing legal … Continued
The New York State Bar Association is launching a new task force that will examine the impact of homelessness and explore ways that governments can intervene so that fewer people will be living on the streets. More than 74,000 New Yorkers are homeless, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Homelessness is a crisis, … Continued
The legal system needs to move away from its role as the primary treatment for people with mental illness, the New York State Bar Association recommends in a report. In the report, the Task Force on Mental Health and Trauma Informed Representation detailed the many ways that people in crisis end up entangled in the … Continued
The New York State Bar Association is recommending that the state’s town and village courts be consolidated into district courts and that non-lawyers no longer be allowed to serve as judges. “It is necessary for our legal system to be constantly re-evaluated,” said Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association. “We need … Continued