When Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor in August 2021, New York had a constitutional procedure in place to fill that vacancy instantly. Under the constitution, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul became governor. So far, so good. But what if she became incapable of serving? Who would make that determination, and how? New York is one of … Continued
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor will speak at a New York State Bar Association Civics Convocation designed to explore how to ensure New Yorkers understand what the U.S. Constitution guarantees and how our democracy works. After delivering her remarks virtually to an audience at the Bar Center in Albany on May 9, Justice … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Richard Lewis joined lawmakers calling for an increase in funding for New York’s Family Courts to address a crisis in the courts affecting children, parents and caregivers. He joined the chairs of the state Senate and Assembly Judiciary and Children and Families committees, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Assembly Members … Continued
Building on the momentum of the New York State Bar Association’s Government Relations Department successes in 2023, the Association will begin this month advocating for key legislative initiatives in both the state and national capitals for 2024. After consultation with the sections, committees and task forces, NYSBA’s legislative policy committee works with the government relations … Continued
The New York State Bar Association’s Government Relations Department had its most productive legislative session in years during 2023. Significant NYSBA priorities were signed into law, including a major increase in hourly rates for attorneys in 18b/assigned counsel cases, the Clean Slate Act, amendments to Notary Requirements, and the formation of a commission to study … Continued
Panelists at a New York State Bar Association conference predicted that lawyers who are in charge of high-level legal strategies for clients have nothing to fear from artificial intelligence, but the jobs of attorneys who conduct the research and draft the legal documents will change dramatically. “The battle won’t be between humans and AI but … Continued
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New York State Bar Association President Richard Lewis issued the following statement about Dennis W.H. Kwok: Recently, the Hong Kong government issued an arrest warrant and a bounty of HK$1,000,000 (about US$127,500) for Dennis W.H. Kwok, a Hong Kong barrister, accusing him of committing an offense under Hong Kong’s draconian National Security Law for “collusion … Continued
The New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Advancing Diversity will issue a report in August that will recommend how colleges and universities, corporations and law firms and courts and government entities can preserve diversity in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action at Harvard and the University of … Continued
Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Biden v. Nebraska: “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the U.S. Department of Education exceeded its authority with its student loan forgiveness program. We respect the court’s decision. “We also respect the … Continued