New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst issued the following statement about the public-private immigration legal defense project outlined in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State message: “Too many immigrants face immigration proceedings without legal representation. They face high stakes, including possible detention and deportation. “The New York State Bar Association has long … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst issued the following statement about the criminal justice agenda outlined in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State message: “Enacting reforms that increase the age of criminal responsibility, avoid wrongful convictions and enhance the quality of indigent criminal legal defense services would represent major steps toward reforming our criminal … Continued

Governor Andrew Cuomo has vetoed a bill (S.8114 and A.10706) that would have required the State of New York to gradually assume the costs of providing constitutionally-mandated legal representation to indigent criminal defendants. The bill was approved by the state Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support. It called for a seven-year phase-in of state assumption of … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst today urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill (S.8114) requiring the state government to assume, over a seven-year period, the costs of providing indigent criminal defense services, which are now financed by county governments. “This measure represents a major advance in providing quality legal representation … Continued

New York State Bar Association President Claire P. Gutekunst today sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo with the Association’s ratings for the seven candidates under consideration for associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. The Governor must designate his choice between January 1 and 15, 2017. The nominee then must be … Continued

There is “no reason to modify the forever wild clause” of the New York  State Constitution—which protects the state-owned Forest Preserve in the Adirondacks and the Catskills—concludes a report released today by the New York State Bar Association. After examining the historical record, the report concludes that fears—such as those that some groups expressed in … Continued