Bill Text: NY S08827 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to temporarily admitting certain attorneys graduating from law school or taking the bar exam during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency; such attorney may be admitted on a permanent basis if they remain in good standing under section 90 of the judiciary law and work at least 100 hours under the supervision of a permanently admitted attorney.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-07-23 - PRINT NUMBER 8827A [S08827 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08827-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         8827--A

                    IN SENATE

                                      July 20, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN ACT in relation to temporarily admitting certain attorneys graduating
          from  law  school  or  taking  the  bar exam during the COVID-19 state
          disaster emergency; and providing for the repeal  of  such  provisions
          upon expiration thereof

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule,  or  regulation
     2  to  the  contrary, any person who has graduated or will graduate from an
     3  American Bar Association accredited law school or who would otherwise be
     4  eligible to take the New York state bar  examination,  has  demonstrated
     5  compliance  with section 520.9 of the rules of the court of appeals, and
     6  has satisfied the requirements for  good  moral  character  and  general
     7  fitness  requisite  for an attorney- and counselor-at-law as required by
     8  section 90 of the judiciary law and who intends  to  primarily  practice
     9  law  in  the  state of New York shall be admitted to practice in all the
    10  courts of record of the state on a temporary basis.   An individual  who
    11  remains  in good standing in accordance with section 90 of the judiciary
    12  law and practices law for a minimum of 100 hours under  the  supervision
    13  of  a  permanently admitted attorney, who shall submit an affirmation of
    14  the nature and extent of the supervision to the committee  on  character
    15  and  fitness and shall, upon such completion of such supervision, trans-
    16  mit the candidate's credentials to  the  appellate  division,  shall  be
    17  admitted to practice in all courts of record of the state on a permanent
    18  basis. Such submission shall not be made earlier than three months after
    19  having  completed the requisite number of supervised hours.  Such super-
    20  vised work shall be completed no later than 18  months  after  September
    21  30,  2021  or  such  date as the COVID-19 state disaster emergency ends,
    22  whichever is later.
    23    § 2. Nothing contained in this act shall be  construed  as  rescinding
    24  any  rules  promulgated  or  waivers  thereof  by  the  court of appeals

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16993-04-0

        S. 8827--A                          2

     1  pertaining to admission to practice as an attorney- and counselor-at-law
     2  that are not inconsistent with this act.
     3    §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
     4  deemed repealed on September 30, 2021 or  upon  the  expiration  of  the
     5  COVID-19  state  disaster  emergency,  as declared pursuant to Executive
     6  Order Number 202 of 2020, and any extensions,  amendments  or  modifica-
     7  tions  thereto, whichever is later; and the provisions of this act shall
     8  apply to any individual whose application for admission to the New  York
     9  state bar is pending on such date.
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