LGBTQ+ asylum seekers have a rough road to travel. Aside from the in-depth requirements that face anyone applying for asylum, government policies, red tape and changing administrations can leave would-be asylees in a holding pattern for years. A recent Continuing Legal Education course, hosted by the New York State Bar Association’s LGBTQ Law Section, delved … Continued
In the face of an alarming rise of hate crimes across the state and nation, the New York State Bar Association is calling for a much-needed update of New York State law through the Hate Crimes Modernization Act. The act would expand the list of hate-crime-eligible offenses to include charges such as graffiti, criminal obstruction … Continued
Could a person with limited vision access your firm’s website? Could a wheelchair user get inside your law office? For people with disabilities, navigating legal services can be a challenge. But it does not have to be that way. At a panel hosted by the Elder Law and Special Needs Section at the New York … Continued
The New York State Bar Association’s Vanguard Award is presented to Wesley Powell, a partner in the Litigation Department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher and co-chair of its Pro Bono Practice at the association’s Annual Meeting in New York City. “Wesley Powell has spent his career standing up for equality and the rule of law,” … Continued
The New York State Bar Association honored three outstanding attorneys for their efforts to diversify the legal profession and provide legal services to those who cannot afford it. The ceremony was part of the Constance Baker Motley Symposium on Jan. 17, which is part of the association’s Annual Meeting. “These three distinguished lawyers are among … Continued
Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, released the following statement about the New York Unified Court System’s announcement that it has added new components to its continued efforts to combat bias and identity-based hate, adding new training programs to address antisemitism, hate crimes, and Islamophobia. “In the face of a disturbing … Continued
Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s fight against antisemitism: “We applaud Gov. Hochul’s powerful and eloquent words yesterday at the American Jewish Committee’s Board of Governors meeting. Pointing to a 217 percent increase in antisemitic incidents — including messages threatening violence at Cornell … Continued
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the famous civil rights demonstration of August 1963, still echoes to this day. Organizers Bayard Rustin and A. Phillip Randolph gathered the factions of the civil rights movement and 200,000 participants to fight for jobs, housing, the right to vote, a minimum wage, comprehensive civil rights legislation … Continued
In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, colleges and graduate schools that want to achieve diversity should eliminate the preferential treatment in admissions given to athletes, the children of alumni and the family of donors, the New York State Bar Association said in a report approved by its House of … Continued
Renowned artist, educator and social justice advocate Hasna Muhammad will examine the legacy of the March on Washington and the continued fight for equity at a commemoration marking the march’s 60th anniversary. Her parents, actors and activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, helped organize the first march in 1963. At that first march, 200,000 demonstrators … Continued