The Staten Island Outing

The mentors and mentees from our Pilot Mentoring Program spent a fun-filled evening networking while watching a Staten Island Yankees Game -- with all you can eat burgers and dogs. Last evening's B-league baseball game was one of the structured events organized by NYCLA to get mentors and mentees together. The aim of this event was for the mentors (all leaders in the NYCLA community) and the mentees (all future leaders in the NYCLA community) to talk about things other than law and the legal profession ... we all need a break sometimes....

Many thanks to Bari Chase and her staff for organizing a great event!

(I am sorry I had to leave before the fireworks. I heard they were fabulous! And I still can't believe that that ferry ride was a freebie!)

Mentoring Program Surveys

Thank you, Mentees, for filling out your surveys. We received a lot of valuable feedback and will analyze the results further to incorporate your suggestions as we go forward with NYCLA's Mentoring Program.

Mentors, you should have received your surveys last week. It is time for you to fill them out and return them to us as soon as possible. We need your insights too!

Mentees Send In Those Surveys

Mentees, this is a post dedicated to all of you; a reminder to please fill out the surveys as fully as you are able by June 30. (You have two days.) We can really use your feedback and are grateful for your time. Thanks!

NYCLA Joins in Filing Civil Action to Challenge Mayor's Plan to Change Indigent Defense Plan

On June 18, NYCLA joined with the Bronx, Kings, Richmond and Queens County Bar Associations in filing a civil action in New York State Supreme Court alleging that recent attempts by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the City of New York and the Criminal Justice Coordinator to overturn the City's indigent defense system are unconstitutional under the New York and United States Constitutions.

This most recent action follows the filing of an Article 78 proceeding on June 2 to challenge the City's unilateral overturning of the indigent defense system operated for more than 40 years through a joint plan among the City and County Bars.

The June 18 complaint alleges that the City's actions threaten to undermine indigent defendants' already limited access to meaningful and effective representation, and that the actions violate the guarantees of access to counsel, due process, equal protection and separation of powers. The complaint seeks to halt the City's contract procurement process and preserve the status quo unless and until the City reaches an agreement with the County Bars that preserves indigent defendants' access to adequate legal counsel.

To read the June 18 release about the filing of the civil action, click here: https://www.nycla.org/siteFiles/News/News131_0.pdf

technical difficulties

it appears that with our recent blog renovations, we lost the prior results from our pro bono survey--please vote again. also, comments on the "new look" are welcome...