Mission
- Implement the Task Force recommendations from the Report.
- Examine the role of the current Lawyer Assistance Committee for cross-Committee initiatives.
- Develop outreach programming for attorneys who have been formally disciplined, with the goal of rehabilitation.
- Work with LAPs, bar associations and others to advocate to NYS CLE Board regarding possible modifications of CLE regulations including:
- Skills development programs with CLE credit; currently, only presentations of theory offer credit;
- Include credit for solutions-based well-being programming, rather than focusing on the negative aspects of ill-being; and
- Broaden well-being CLEs offering ethics credit to include public trust and ethics work, focusing on prevention rather than the need for diversionary programs.
- Develop online resources and materials on topics which support well-being and the importance of self-care.
- Develop and promote a “Law Firm Roadmap for Well-Being Best Practices” for law firms or other legal employers in offering social opportunities which enable people to enjoy shared physical activity.
- Collaborate with the court system (OCA) to create a referral network of clinicians with specific experience dealing with the legal profession, such as North Carolina’s Bar Cares program and Massachusetts’ LOMAP.
Sections
The Elder Law and Special Needs Section provides services and opportunities for involvement on issues relating to Elder Law and Special Needs Law, for members of the New York State Bar Association. Among activities, the Section presents educational programs and publishes materials on practice, procedure and developments to enhance the competence and skill of lawyers who practice in this field and improve their ability to deliver the most efficient and highest quality of services to their clients; prepare studies, analyses and recommendations to seek improvement in the law and procedure relating to elder law; and undertake projects to increase the understanding of senior citizens, their families and the general public concerning legal issues affecting the elderly.
The purpose of the Section is to promote equality in the law for LGBTQ people; eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ attorneys and litigants; promote equality of opportunity for, and increase the visibility of, contributions made by LGBTQ attorneys; and promote diversity in the bench by inclusion of all minorities, including LGBTQ people.
Our mission is to advance women in the legal profession and all women under the law. Membership in our Section offers many opportunities to address the professional, legal, policy and legislative issues impacting women. You can also take advantage of educational programs (such as the annual Edith I. Spivack Symposium — WILS’ Annual Meeting CLE – and Women on the Move) and meet and network with other attorneys.
The evolution of legal, clinical and societal perspectives towards people with mental disabilities has led many to question the legality, efficacy and morality of screening Bar applicants for mental disability. The Working Group of Attorney Mental Health recognizes the importance of focusing on a bar candidate’s behavior and conduct to evaluate fitness to practice law and expects that to continue to be the focus of determining an applicant’s fitness to practice law. The Working Group is comprised of representatives from the Young Lawyers Section, the Committee on Disability Rights, the Lawyer Assistance Committee, and the Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar.
Task Forces
NYSBA is and has been committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within all sectors of the legal industry. In light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University, NYSBA launched a task force dedicated to advancing diversity and preserving the benefits that flow from fostering diverse environments. The goal of this Task Force is to evaluate the legal and societal implications of the Supreme Court’s decision and provide guidance for courts, educational institutions, corporations, law firms, and other organizations that wish to preserve diversity in their institutions, consistent with the dictates of the ruling.
The Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate will study and make recommendations for the analysis and development of laws, policies, and best practices to enhance education on, and awareness of, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian violence and hate and to prosecute and deter hate crimes against these minority groups.
The Task Force will examine how structural racism permeates and influences facets of daily life leading to injustice and inequality among New Yorkers. The Task Force will include six subcommittees – Criminal Justice, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Justice, Health, and Housing – that will examine the key issues that cause structural racism to be entrenched and persistent. These subcommittees will enable the Task Force to explore changes in the law and public policy and deliver a report recommending action steps the NYSBA can take to attack structural racism and effectuate meaningful societal transformation.
The Task Force on Mental Health and Trauma Informed Representation is created to explore, study, and evaluate the intersection between the mental health crisis and our civil and criminal justice systems. There is a well-documented crisis of mental health care in the United States that has failed to meet the needs of people with mental health challenges and/or histories of trauma. People living with mental health challenges or trauma histories are increasingly incarcerated, homeless, or boarded in hospital emergency rooms. They often bear additional burdens and stigma of racial discrimination, sex or gender identity discrimination, and poverty. The Task Force will focus on the need for the Bar to better serve individuals with mental health challenges and/or trauma histories, both adults and children, through trauma-informed practice, such as informing attorneys and the judiciary of available resources to assist in the representation of clients, by raising awareness of intersectional stigma and trauma, and by recommending education on best practices in the representation of these clients. Criminal diversion and civil processes will be examined to ensure that people living with mental health challenges and/or trauma histories are able to fully participate in legal proceedings that impact their liberty and well-being. State policy and budget priorities will be examined, and appropriate recommendations made.
The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) recognizes that an unprecedented number of bills have been introduced across the nation over the past two years to ban or severely limit transgender youth from participating in school sports, targeting primarily children in grades K-12. Many of these measures are now before state, district and U.S. appellate courts (see, e.g. Hecox v. Little, Aug 2020) and B.P.J. v. West Virginia, July 2021). New York, along with local school districts and athletic associations in many states, have instituted policies that seek to both protect the civil rights of transgender persons – especially children – while also ensuring a level playing field for all athletes. However, positions that may be taken by higher courts at the federal level could potentially impact or even reverse these important safeguards.
This past year, NYSBA filed an amicus brief in the case of Fulton v. City of Philadelphia at the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the rights of same-sex couples to provide foster childcare. NYSBA continues to champion diversity in the profession and the broader rights of LGBTQ+ persons, and all people, to fair and equal treatment under the law.
The Task Force on the Treatment of Transgender Youth in Sports would provide education and the opportunity for mutually respectful, objective, fact-based dialog to NYSBA membership on the constitutional, scientific, and social justice implications of these legislative proposals and laws impacting New Yorkers. In addition, it would address broader issues surrounding the competitive impact of existing guidelines intended to afford inclusion of athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (“SDS”) at the collegiate, Olympic, and other elite levels while ensuring fair competition. Such efforts, coupled with further study, would support a report and recommendations on these issues to the House of Delegates.
The mission of the Task Force is to review restrictive voting laws in the United States, including here in New York, and make recommendations to ensure that constitutional and statutory rights to full and fair elections are upheld. In furtherance of this goal, the Task Force shall study current developments, with a particular focus on their effects on persons of color, low-income, the elderly, disabled and other persons facing challenges to exercising their vote.
Local Bar Associations
The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York is a voluntary professional organization dedicated to improving the administration of the law, ensuring full equality for members of the LGBTQ+ community, promoting the expertise and advancement of LGBTQ+ legal professionals, and serving the larger community through various pro bono initiatives.
The New York Women’s Bar Association is a non-profit organization devoted to improving the status of women in society, educating women lawyers and assisting them in professional development and advancement, and promoting the fair and equal administration of justice. The Association accomplishes these goals through the work of its committees, the presentation of continuing legal education programs, and the evaluation of judicial candidates. Through its affiliation with the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”), the Association also reviews and comments on proposed legislation and policy initiatives at the state, federal and international levels that are of concern to women and children. The NYWBA was founded in 1934 and incorporated as a bar association in 1935.
The Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) is a unified, citywide association of Black and other minority lawyers in the New York metropolitan area, with members in all five boroughs. Founded on July 5, 1984, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association was created from the merger of the Harlem Lawyers Association and the Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association. The Harlem Lawyers Association, founded in 1921, was known as one of the oldest black bar associations and led by pioneers such a Cora Thomasina Walker, its first female president. The Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association was founded in 1933. As one of the largest organizations of Black attorneys in New York State, the MBBA continues the rich legacy of its two predecessor organizations by providing a voice for Black legal professionals in the communities it serves. In 2017, the Bronx Black Bar Association merged with the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, strengthening our reach and impact in the borough. Today, the MBBA is comprised of mostly Black and minority attorneys in large and small law firms, solo practitioners, all levels of government, academia, corporations, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations and the judiciary. The MBBA is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation duly formed under the laws of New York state and the Federal government. Friends of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Inc. (Friends of the MBBA) is the charitable arm of MBBA and duly organized as a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions made to Friends of the MBBA are deductible to the fullest extent of state and Federal laws. As an affiliate of the National Bar Association, the MBBA is an active participant in a community of practicing Black lawyers, judges and law students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The purpose of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association is to:
- Aid the progress of the legal profession generally, and in particular, to aid the progress of Black and other minorities in the profession;
- Advance the theory and practice of law and its allied fields;
- Enhance the status of the lawyer, and in particular, Black and other minority lawyers;
- Encourage research and the preparation of papers, documents and reports on legal issues affecting the citywide Black community;
- Endeavor to maintain technical and cultural standards for the legal right to practice law and to require high standards of ethical practice by members of the profession;
- Foster the study of law and encourage the personal and professional development of young lawyers and law students;
- Cooperate with other legal societies and groups; and
- Advance public relations with governmental agencies, lawyers of other nations, and the public in general.
Since its formation in 1957, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, Inc, (PRBA), has served as a model of what a legal professional organization should strive for in serving its members and the larger community. It has grown from a handful of Puerto Rican members to hundreds of lawyers committed to meeting the new challenges confronting Latino lawyers in the legal profession and the myriad issues affecting the Latino community, and New York State as a whole.
Founded in 1996, the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY) is an organization of South Asian attorneys practicing in the New York City metropolitan region.
SABANY is dedicated to the needs, concerns, and interests of lawyers of South Asian heritage, which includes Afghans, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indians, Indo-Africans, Indo-Caribbeans, Maldivans, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and other diasporic communities. We are committed to promoting the professional development of the South Asian legal community through networking, advocacy, and mentoring. Each year we host panels, CLE courses, and workshops on career development, social justice issues, and current events. We also organize networking events, a Public Interest Fellowship Benefit, and a Leadership Awards Gala.
SABANY is dedicated to ensuring the civil liberties of the South Asian community in New York, by acting as a conduit between the South Asian community and legal services and educational programs in the area. It is our goal to educate South Asian Americans about their legal system and to encourage more participation by our community in the legal profession.
The DBA is an organization of legal professionals and law students, which supports Latino members of the legal profession, particularly attorneys and law students of Dominican ancestry, in their pursuit of higher posts in the legal profession and other facets of influence in the United States.
The DBA also strives to support the at-large Latino community by organizing pro bono “Know Your Rights” legal workshops for members of the public, by providing scholarships and mentorship to law students, and by conducting career information activities for high school students at their schools and developing mentorships with the same, among other initiatives.
AABANY’s mission is to foster the meaningful participation of Asian American Pacific Islanders in the legal field through the study, practice, and fair administration of law. We advance diversity and inclusion through professional development, legal scholarship, advocacy, and engagement of the AAPI community. We seek to support the legal interests and serve the needs of the AAPI community. In pursuing these goals, AABANY is committed to collaboration in the pursuit of social justice.
The Jewish Lawyers Guild is an organization of lawyers and jurists founded upon fellowship and faith in 1962. The Guild holds a variety of activities, including lectures, programs and tours that are relevant to the legal and Jewish communities. In addition, the Guild participates in judicial screening panels, provides a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program for its members and funds two scholarships at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
The Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York (HALA-NY) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit professional organization founded to promote and encourage participation by Haitian Americans and other ethnic minorities in the judicial and legal system. Comprised mostly of attorneys, judges, scholars and activists, we invite all who care about, are affected by, or are interested in issues that pertain to Haitian-Americans and the Haitian diaspora to collaborate with us. We celebrate and share both our culture and professional expertise to address the needs and interests of our community.
The Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) is a professional membership organization of attorneys and law students engaged with the issues affecting the Korean American community in Greater New York. Incorporated in 1986, KALAGNY seeks to encourage the professional growth of its members as well as provide legal support for the Korean American community.
AMISTAD seeks to continue the tradition of providing opportunities for networking, leadership, and professional growth to attorneys in the practice of law who work and/or live on Long Island.
AMISTAD actively provides supportive environments for law students, judges, and attorneys of color in all walks of the profession.
The Association of Black Women Attorneys (ABWA) was founded in June 1976 by Marva A. Allen, Professor Paulette M. Caldwell, Judge Eardell Jenner Rashford, Deacon Cynthia W. Roundtree, Margaret Price Williams, and Sylvia Guilford Wright, all graduates of Howard University School of Law. We are a not-for-profit bar association that promotes and supports the professional development and personal growth of black women attorneys. Our membership consists primarily of successful women in the New York Metro area practicing in a myriad of areas at various entities including law firms, corporations, solo practice, city, state, and federal government agencies, and the judiciary. Our past presidents range from federal court judges to partners at AM Law 100 law firms.
To Promote, Protect & Further the Rights of All Women
Promoting an increase in racial and ethnic diversity at all levels of the legal profession in the New York Capital District
Mission:
- To promote an increase in racial and ethnic diversity at all levels of the legal profession in the Capital District (Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties and surrounding) for the benefit of Black, Hispanic, and other attorneys of color and the entire legal profession
- To create awareness in the legal profession about the value of racial and ethnic diversity and the need for full equal employment of racial and ethnic attorneys of color; and assist in preparing Blacks, Hispanics, and other students of color as they pursue a legal career
Founded in 1978, the CDWBA is more than 350 members strong. Private practitioners, judges, government attorneys, court officials, in-house counsel, and law students are welcome. Friends of the Association include non-attorneys in law-related professions, including paralegals.
The mission of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association is to promote justice for all, regardless of sex; to advance the social, economic and legal status of women through the law; to expand opportunities for women and to raise the level of competence and integrity in the legal profession.
The Columbian Lawyers Association of the First Judicial Department (Manhattan and Bronx Counties) is a Bar Association comprised of lawyers celebrating, supporting and promoting Italian heritage, culture, innovation and achievement.
As a chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, the mission of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys is to advocate for the professional development and well-being of all women attorneys, increase representation and opportunities for all women in the legal profession, engage in open dialogue and seek perspective from individuals with diverse backgrounds, facilitate fair and equal justice for all, and act as a united voice for members to promote inclusive policies and legislation of statewide, national, and international significance, while performing all work with an intersectional lens.
The Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County "LLAQC", a non-for-profit organization, was formed in 1996 and incorporated in 1997. The Association promotes the general welfare and legal rights of the Latino community by providing information, guidance, and education to the community. In addition, LAQC promotes the common interest in the legal profession and advances the opportunities that exist for Latino lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students.
Since its inception in 2001, the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association (LIHBA) has dedicated itself to promoting and fostering the advancement of the Long Island Hispanic legal profession as well as the Hispanic community as a whole.
The Minority Bar Association of WNY is a not-for-profit organization comprised of over one hundred members who are from diverse ethnic backgrounds that represent the varying races, cultures and beliefs in Western New York.
Recognizing the unique needs and interests of Muslim attorneys, as well as the special role that Muslim attorneys play in the many communities of New York, a group of lawyers and law students established the Muslim Bar Association of New York in 2006. The objectives of this non-profit professional association are:
- To organize and represent Muslim attorneys in the New York area and to advance the goals, needs and interests thereof;
- To improve the position of the Muslim community at large by addressing issues affecting the local and national Muslim population, educating the local and national community about matters affecting the Muslim community, advancing and protecting the rights of Muslims in America, and creating an environment that helps guarantee the full, fair and equal representation of Muslims in American society;
- To facilitate communication and the sharing of resources among Muslim attorneys, promote education on issues relevant to Muslim attorneys, and take all other steps necessary to further the professional development of Muslim attorneys in the New York area;
- To promote Muslim participation in American executive, legislative, and judicial decision-making processes;
- To encourage entry into the legal profession for Muslim men and women; and
- To assist law student Members in the furtherance of their legal careers and in their continued involvement in this Association.
The mission of the Nassau County Women's Bar Association, a Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of New York, is to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national, and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular.
The QCWBA is dedicated to the advancement of of the law and women in the legal profession, in particular in and around Queens, and committed to the overall improvement in the status of all women.
The mission of the Rochester Black Bar Association ("RBBA") is to facilitate, enhance and promote the participation of attorneys of color in the greater Rochester community.
The RBBA further seeks to support the legal competency of its members, while providing a network of support and advancing equity for marginalized lawyers.
The purposes of the Rockland County Women’s Bar Association (RCWBA) are to provide a network and support system for the women attorneys in Rockland County and, through WBASNY, statewide; to provide educational programs to our members; to address issues affecting all lawyers, in particular women; and to encourage the interest of law in our system of justice and the law.
The Staten Island Women's Bar Association (SIWBA) seeks to improve the status of women attorneys and women in general. Still, we also see equally as well to increase justice in the community. We are the guardians of our community, whether or not we work in a "public service" position, and as such, we must refresh our ethical awareness regularly. In the hue and cry of everyday life, we are tempted to take shortcuts to gain an advantage – however, we must consider whether to do so involves injury to others and ourselves.
The Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association is a chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY). WBASNY’s 4,000+ members, comprised of attorneys, judges and law students, work to promote the advancement of the states of women in the legal profession. On a local level, our organization works to provide networking opportunities, continuing legal education, fun and mentorship to our local legal community. WBASNY’s mission is to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular.
Our purpose is to improve the integrity and standards of professionalism in the legal community; improve public confidence in the judicial system and the administration of justice; promote and encourage independence, diversity and inclusion in the judiciary and in the court system; and uphold the promise of equality, fairness, and justice for all under law regardless of race, color, sex, creed, or national origin.
Our mission is to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular.
WBAOSC is one of 20 chapters of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY), an organization of more than 4,400 members . The mission statement of WBASNY and WBAOSC is: "To promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular.”