A BANNER YEAR?

Last year, at the beginning of my term as State Bar President, I challenged all lawyers to help move our profession forward.  Now, as my term draws to a close, let me renew that challenge.

In the wake of the Great Recession, which so deeply affected our profession, we have entered what appears to be a period of recovery.  During this time, it remains critical to focus on how we can shape the future of our profession in ways that protect us from future downturns.  As I have often said over the past year, we are called to be stewards of our profession.  And, each of our members can play an active role in that stewardship effort.

Over the past year, we have endeavored to shape the future in many areas.  And we have accomplished so much.  Space does not permit me to thank every person who made these successes possible.  However, I would be remiss not to mention our amazing group of officers, President-elect Vince Doyle, Treasurer and President-elect Designee Seymour James, Secretary David Miranda, as well as our phenomenal Executive Director, Patricia Bucklin.  I am proud to say that we have made progress in several important areas, thanks to the contributions of our numerous dedicated volunteers.

This year, our Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession brought together some of the foremost thought leaders in our profession.  They held forums upstate and downstate and met with managing partners of law firms large and small, law school deans, and bar leaders to explore the changing issues affecting our profession.  The result was a comprehensive report that the House of Delegates accepted last month.  The Task Force generated recommendations regarding the training of new lawyers, work life balance, law firm structure and use of technology.  I encourage you to take a look at the report at www.nysba.org/futurereport .

When I took office, public scandals were making headlines statewide, causing confidence in our state government to drop to all-time lows.  The unethical actions of a relative few threatened to tarnish the hard work of the overwhelming majority of public servants - many of them lawyers - who are so dedicated to serving the common good.  In response, we formed a Task Force on Government Ethics to review public sector ethics issues that impact the legal profession.  The Task Force focused on financial disclosure by public officials, honest services crime, ethics enforcement and due process issues, and municipal ethics.  The Task Force produced a report with various recommendations that were unanimously approved by the House of Delegates in January.  Since then, I have been communicating the State Bar's recommendations to the Governor and our legislative leaders.  I believe the report will be a valuable tool in shaping the debate over government ethics, which should help restore the public trust.

Our Special Committee on Youth Courts has been active in helping establish new Youth Courts and helping create a data collection program to make information on Youth Courts more accessible.  Our Task Force on Family Courts is tackling the problems faced by that important branch of our court system.  Our Task Force on New York Law in International Matters has examined the benefits of choosing New York Law in cross-border transactions and the important role that New York courts and arbitration forums play in resolving international business disputes.  This Task Force will present its report to the House of Delegates next month.

The State Bar has had an impact on several key areas of legislation.  Indeed, Crain's Insider dubbed 2010 a "Banner Year" for the State Bar's legislative efforts.  Some of our key legislative victories include the passage of no-fault divorce legislation, creation of an Office of Indigent Legal Services to improve the criminal defense system for the poor, approval of the Judiciary's budget new allocation to fund civil legal services for the poor, $15 million for the Interest on Lawyer Account (IOLA) Fund,  and establishment of a commission to recommend long-overdue pay raises for our judges.  In 2011, we helped lead the successful effort to oppose caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.  We also succeeded in defeating an effort to abolish the spousal refusal doctrine for Medicaid eligibility.  We were very disappointed to see $170 million cut from the Judiciary budget, but remain hopeful that the cuts will not deprive New Yorkers of access to our justice system.  As the legislative session continues, we remain committed to advocacy on behalf of our profession and the public.

We also received the ABA's Grassroots Advocacy award this year for our efforts in Congress.  Among our accomplishments were helping to add a lawyer exemption to the Dodd-Frank Act and supporting legal services funding in the federal budget.

These are just some of the many projects, and initiatives that I am proud to have been a part of this year.  As you can see, we have made great strides.  But there is still more to do, and we need the help of every member.  Consider getting involved in one of our sections or committees.  Volunteer to do pro bono.

I firmly believe that it is our ongoing responsibility not only to shape our profession, but also to mentor new lawyers.  If I leave you with one thought, let it be to extend a helping hand to our new lawyers, who represent the future of our profession.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you this year.  And, I offer my best wishes to Vince Doyle who I know will make an outstanding President of our Association.

Best regards,

Stephen P. Younger
President, New York State Bar Association
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP