NYSBA President Scott M. Karson Applauds State Court System Commission For Stance Against Nonlawyer Ownership In New York
12.18.2020
Scott M. Karson, president of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), issued the following statement applauding the Unified State Court System’s Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York’s Courts for its stance against nonlawyer ownership of law firms:
“The prohibition against nonlawyer ownership of law firms is the long-established policy of the New York State Bar Association. That policy is borne out of a concern that individuals who are not lawyers do not have the same ethical constraints that lawyers do, and their ownership of law firms could put clients at risk. We applaud the Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York’s Courts, and its chair, past NYSBA President Hank Greenberg, for reaffirming our position that allowing nonlawyers to be partners and owners in law firms is neither viable nor practical at this time. Like the Commission, NYSBA will closely evaluate developments in Arizona, Utah and California to see whether any of the alternate business structures undertaken in those states yield successful results, particularly with regard to access to justice.”
About the New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, the Association has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.
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Contact: Susan DeSantis
sdesantis@nysba.org
201-575-5756
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