Sections & Committees

Local and State Government Law Section

THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF OUR FALL 2019 MEETING

Lamb & Barnosky
Comp Alliance
Greco Trapp, PLLC
New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal
NYS Association of Counties
The Zoghlin Group, PLLC

Sponsorship opportunities for future meetings will be posted soon



LOCAL AND GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION SPRING FORUM

In Person Program was recorded on April 27, 2018 at the New York State Bar Association, 1 Elk Street, Albany NY 12207

3.0 MCLE Credits in Professional Practice

Cost: Free to NYSBA Members | $25 for Non-Member

PURCHASE WEBCAST

Additional Information:

Agenda:

Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Purchasing in New York
MWBEs receive special consideration on contracts let by New York State.  The proposed 2019 executive budget includes legislation that would extend these existing MWBE purchasing provisions to local government contracts.  This program will discuss the requirements of the existing MWBE program and what local and state government attorneys need to know about it.

Martha Mann Alfaro, Esq.
New York City Law Dept, New York, NY

Noreen VanDoren, Esq.
New York State Office of General Services, Albany, NY

New York State Response to Changes in Federal Tax Law
The recent changes in the federal tax laws have prompted a strong response from New York State. This panel discussed how the changes to the federal tax laws affect New York’s income and real property tax structure, and what the State is doing to protect its taxpayers.

Danshera Cords, Esq.
Professor of Law, Albany Law School, Albany, New York

Kathleen Hodgdon, Esq.
Associate Counsel
Association of Towns of the State of New York, Albany, New York

State and Local Government Financial Disclosure Requirements
This program discussed responses to the call for greater transparency and accountability in state and local government operations and focused on financial disclosure requirements for state and local government employees, elected officials and officers.

Seth H. Agata, Esq.,
Executive Director
New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Albany, New York

Steven G. Leventhal, Esq.
Leventhal, Cursio, Mullaney & Sliney, LLP, Roslyn, New York
 

For questions contact please contact the Member Resource Center at 1-800-582-2452

LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION SPRING FORUM 

Monday, April 20, 2020
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

In Person Program: New York State Bar Association, 1 Elk Street, Albany NY 12207 
Webcast Viewing: New York City Law Department | 100 Church Street, New York, New York 10007 
Remote Webcast Viewing will also be available.

3.0 MCLE Credits 

Cost: Free to NYSBA Members | $25 for Non-Members 
Please note: The webcast viewing in NYC will be free to attend.

Networking reception to follow the program.

REGISTER NOW

Agenda 

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.        Who’s Got Your Back So Ya Don’t Get Hacked?  Recent State Data Protection Laws and Regulations Generally, Education Data Protection Specifically

Speakers: Patrick Burke, Esq., Philips Nizer LLP and Anita Murphy, District Superintendent of the Capital Region BOCES                                                         

Legislation and regulation is catching up with the challenges of data protection at the state and local government level.  This panel will provide an overview of these new state requirements. It will also examine as a case study the recent NYS Department of Education regulation on data protection and its impact on school districts and their private vendors.  They will also discuss the scourge of ransomware attacks, and how these attacks can affect other state and local governmental entities, as well as private attorneys, firms and other businesses.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.           Smart Growth, Downtown Revitalization and the Emergence of “Sustainable Development Law” in New York State

Speaker: Paul Beyer, Esq., Smart Growth Director, New York State Department of State

Over the past decade, several laws and Executive Orders have been enacted that support the Triple Bottom Line of Smart Growth and Sustainable Development—Environment, Equity and Economy.  Case studies will be used to demonstrate how sustainable development laws and related programs have worked in concert to achieve sustainable community development, particularly in the context of Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.  The roles of both state and local planners in implementing these laws and programs will also be discussed.

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.           Facebook. Twitter. SnapChat. WhatsApp. Instagram.  What’s an Ethical Attorney to do in the Age of Social Media and Technology?

Speakers: Steven Leventhal, Esq., Panel Moderator; Mark A. Berman, Esq., Partner at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer, LLC; Seth Agata, Special Counsel at Jenner & Block, LLP.

It isn’t easy to comply with the Rules of Professional Responsibility in the age of uber-technology where everyone, at all times, has a computer, a microphone and a camera in hand. Does our duty of confidentiality crumble when our client posts to social media?  These and other ethical issues abound for every attorney in every sector.  The panel explores ethical questions surrounding the use of personal versus government-issued equipment; social media as a means of communication, source of information and investigative tool; open repositories of government and private citizen data, including procurement information; and more.  What are our obligations under the Rules and, for public sector attorneys especially, what consequences do we face under the Freedom of Information Law, the various statutory codes of ethics and other laws?

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.                       Networking Reception


For questions contact Catherine Carl at [email protected]

REGISTER NOW

Or, to register over the phone please contact the Member Resource Center at 1-800-582-2452 

2020 FALL MEETING
OCTOBER 23 - 25, 2020


Le Méridien Philadelphia
1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA

Please save the date to join us for the 75th Anniversary of the Local and State Government Law Section! 

More information and registration to follow.

The Local and State Government Law Section of the New York State Bar Association is proud to offer its members and members of the general public this complete resource center on Municipal Ethics. Below please find links to PDF versions of articles, statutes, and NYS Attorney General's Opinion letters.

Attorney General Opinions 

Ethics For Municipal Lawyers

Ethics Litigation Papers

Ethics Presentations

Municipal Lawyer Ethics Columns

Sample Ethics Laws

Sample Financial Disclosure Forms

Welcome to the Local and State Government Law Section's Legal Resource Center!

To assist you with resources the Section has prepared accessible lists of resources available in New York State. Click below on the links to help guide you to our resources:

General Municipal Law Legal Links (for a variety of legal resources)

Municipal Laws 

Sample Local Laws and Ordinances

New York Municipal Guide

VIEW THE LATEST MUNICIPAL LAWYER

The Municipal Lawyer features peer-written, substantive articles relating to the practice of municipal law on various topics including land use, zoning, ethics, and environmental issues. The Municipal Lawyer is published quarterly by the Local and State Government Law Section and distributed to Section members free of charge.

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VIEW THE LATEST GOVERNMENT, LAW AND POLICY JOURNAL

Each Government, Law and Policy Journal features peer-written substantive articles with a theme on a current issue of interest to government attorneys. Past themes have included Aging and Longevity, Renewable Energy, Civil Rights and Disabilities, Firearms, Public Safety and the Law; The Oversight Function: Guarding the Public Interest; New York State's Budget; Beverage Alcohol Law: Regulation and Policy; Public Authority Reform; Freedom of Information Law; and Climate Change. 

Read Now>