New York City Bar Association - Committees on Governmental Affairs

Jerome Walker, co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, leads a discussion on President Trump's January 23, 2025 executive order: Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. The episode features insights from Nikhil Aggarwal, Harut Minasian, and Nichole Sterling on the implications of reversing President Biden's AI policies. Key discussions include the roles of federal and state regulations, the balance between innovation and safety, and the international landscape of AI regulations. Nikhil, Harut and Nichole also explain foundational principles like explainability, transparency, and fairness in AI models, and assess how stakeholders should navigate these regulatory changes. Additionally, the episode delves into practical examples of AI applications in national security and offers strategic advice for market participants over the next four years. If you’re interested in learning more about cryptocurrency and regulatory treatment of

Two legal experts, Tiffany Smith from WilmerHale and Stuart Levi from Skadden Arps, analyze President Trump's January 23rd, 2025 Executive Order on Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology. They compare it with President Biden's previous executive order, discussing the balance between innovation and risk, potential impacts on the digital assets industry, regulatory clarifications, and international competition. The experts also emphasize the need for balanced, cautious optimism while engaging with both federal and state regulators. If you’re interested in learning more about cryptocurrency and regulatory treatment of digital financial technology, join us for the City Bar’s Crypto Institute on March 11 (https://services.nycbar.org/Institute/ and available thereafter on-demand). Visit nycbar.org/events to find all of the most up-to-date information about our upcoming programs and events. Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology: https://www.whitehouse.gov/pres

This episode of the New York City Bar Association comes to you from the Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Committee. Host Scott Mason and committee Chair Aimee Latorre delve into the dimensions of wellbeing, Aimee’s personal journey with mindfulness, and the profession’s current crisis of mental health, attrition, and substance abuse. They also discuss the six dimensions of wellbeing defined by the ABA, and the additional two by the New York State Bar Association. Aimee highlights practical steps individuals and organizations can take to foster a culture of wellbeing and the positive impact it has on ethical and competent legal practice. If you’re interested in incorporating mindfulness and well-being into your practice, join the Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Committee for a Mindfulness Break, Yoga for Lawyers, or its next Book Club. More information about the committee and its upcoming events is available here: https://www.nycbar.org/committees/mindfulness-well-being-in-law-committee/ Visit nycbar.org

Our latest episode from the Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies surveys an emerging landscape of legislation around AI liabilities and remedies. David Lisson (Davis Polk), Clint Morrison (Patterson Belknap), Shayne O'Reilly (Meta), Matt Bacal (Davis Polk), and Rama Elluru ( Special Competitive Studies Project) unpack regulations from state, federal and international bodies covering topics such as disclosure and transparency, kids' safety, deep fakes, non-consensual intimate imagery, and intellectual property. They also touch upon the significant penalties under the EU AI Act and the broader themes emerging from these legislative efforts, emphasizing the balance between innovation and regulation. If you’re interested in learning more about how artificial intelligence will affect the legal world, check out the City Bar’s Artificial Intelligence Institute, available on-demand. Visit nycbar.org/events to find all of the most up-to-date information about our upcoming progra

Salahuddin Ahmed, a constitutional lawyer and expert from Pakistan, visited the City Bar Middle East and North African Affairs Committee to discuss the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and its impact on the independence of the Supreme Court and the Rule of Law. For a brief background on how the 26th Amendment attempts to subjugate the judiciary to the present regime in Pakistan, read the statement of the International Commission of Jurists. https://www.icj.org/pakistan-26th-constitutional-amendment-is-a-blow-to-the-independence-of-the-judiciary/ At least two Senators said in television interviews that they were compelled to vote for the Amendment after being kidnapped and having their family members kidnapped. The inducements and coercion adopted during the process were widely reported in Pakistani media and even raised in Parliament. For example, see: https://www.nation.com.pk/18-Oct-2024/senators-seek-end-to-coercion-to-get-vote-on-judicial-reforms The preliminary problem with this legal c

The City Bar's Environmental Law Committee hosted a discussion on NYSDEC's Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) and New York City's Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) which encourage private-sector cleanups of contaminated sites and promotes the redevelopment of the sites through economic incentives. We discussed the potential impact these programs may have on environmental justice communities in New York City and also look at various case studies across New York City and their differing perspectives on the topic. Moderator: Heather Leibowitz, Senior Attorney, NYSDEC Region 2 Speakers: George Duke, Vice President, NYC Brownfields Partnership Rebecca Bratspies, Professor of Environmental and Public International Law, CUNY School of Law; Director of the Center of Urban Environmental Reform, CUNY Melissa Checker, Professor of Urban Studies, Queens College; Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center Barry Hersh, Professor, NYPU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate

To many of us, the answer seems obvious as the AI wave continues to crest. The City Bar Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies hosts Hon. Xavier Rodriguez, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas, and Maura Grossman, a lawyer and scholar specializing in technology assisted review, to join Task Force member David Zaslowsky in giving that question a closer look. With lawyers filing in court, perhaps we're leaping to conclusions that don't match our experience. After all, lawyers once worried that tech like email would be the end of confidentiality. Then again, when it comes to judges, the risks may be just as high as we think. Research and fact-finding may be one thing, but what about when a judge asks an AI tool to render a legal decision?  Judge Rodriguez and Professor Grossman consider many cases and court rules from the past year as we pull apart the surprising nuances of the question: should lawyers and judges be required to disclose their use of AI? If

Muhammad Faridi, City Bar President, interviews Jethro Eisenstein, a key figure in the creation of the NYC’s Handschu Committee in response to NYPD "Red Squad" activities in the 1970s and 80s. Jethro shares the history of the Handschu litigation, a landmark case initiated in 1971 that imposed significant oversight on the NYPD’s investigation of political groups. Jethro recounts the origins of the case, the challenges that the Committee has faced through the years, and the evolution of legal oversight mechanisms over decades, including a post-9/11 revival. He reflects on his career and the impact of the Handschu guidelines on civil rights and police accountability. 01:37 Meet Jethro Eisenstein: A Legal Luminary 02:25 The Handschu Litigation: Origins and Impact 02:50 Jethro's Journey to Law and Early Career 08:14 The Red Squad and Political Surveillance 09:56 The Panther 21 Trial and Its Aftermath 12:29 Drafting the Handschu Complaint 25:57 Litigation Challenges and Class Action Certification 29:03 Settlement

In this podcast hosted by the City Bar Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Alona Katz, Chief of the Virtual Currency Unit at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, alongside a panel of experts, discusses the growing issue of cryptocurrency investment scams, specifically 'pig butchering,' which one guest describes as “ a confidence scam and a romance scam and an investment scam all wrapped into one.” The panel includes Inspector Osvaldo Nunez from the New York City Police Department; Kristen Spaeth, Manager on the Global Intelligence Team at Coinbase; Jonathan Scharf, Deputy Chief of Major Economic Crimes at the Queens County District Attorney's Office; and Adrian Cheek, a disruption expert. They share insights on current trends, investigation techniques, and strategies for effective disruption and seizure of assets. The group emphasizes education as a key tool for inoculating the public to these scams, the importance of public-private sector collaboration, and pro

In this special episode we hear the Hon. Jed S. Rakoff – Senior Judge, United States District Court, Southern District of New York – deliver a speech to the Association entitled "The U.S. Supreme Court’s History as a Regressive Institution." Judge Rakoff’s speech is part of City Bar’s Benjamin N. Cardozo Lecture Series, which is inspired by the legacy of Benjamin N. Cardozo "and his love for the law, passion for justice and sympathy for humanity." First presented in 1941, previous speakers in the series have included Robert H. Jackson, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Earl Warren, William J. Brennan, Jr., Marian Wright Edelman, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among many others. Judge Rakoff was introduced by Judge Raymond Lohier, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after a welcome from City Bar President Muhammad Faridi.

Presidential Task Force on AI and Digital Technologies members Wendy Butler Curtis and Robert Mahari are joined by Cai GoGwilt, founder of Ironclad, to discuss the power and potential of Agentic AI. Their conversation explores the definitions, capabilities, and notable limitations of the emerging Large Language Models. Building on Forbes’ “intern” analogy, the co-hosts highlight the ways in which Agentic AI can enhance productivity across several fields with its hyperintelligence and adaptability to complex tasks. Curtis, Mahari and GoGwilt conclude with thoughts on its future development, ethical considerations of its usage, and anecdotes of their most interesting encounters with these tools. If you’re interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, join us for related programs at the City Bar, including the UN Summit of the Future: International Regulation of AI on November 4 (https://services.nycbar.org/EventDetail?EventKey=TFDT110424) and the Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: An Overv

An increasing number of states are enacting policies hostile to LGBTQ youth, like book bans and restrictions on participation in sports. Even in states like New York where there is greater state-level support for LGBTQ rights, similar policies aimed at stifling those rights have emerged at the local level. Amy Leipziger (Project Director, Free to Be Youth Project), Ashton Hessee (Legal Fellow, Free to Be Youth Project) and Gabriella Larios (Staff Attorney, NYCLU) of the City Bar’s LGBTQ Rights Committee unpack the damage to psychological and physical health that these bans and the anti-LGBTQ culture that they promote can have on LGBTQ youth – kids who are navigating the same developmental challenges as their peers while being saddled with these additional burdens. Amy, Ashton and Gabriella also speak to how queer and trans youth – and their parents and caregivers – can understand their rights and understand how to advocate for their rights in school. All three share stories from the frontlines of litigating a

The Presidential Task Force on AI and Digital Technologies’ Bob Schwinger hosts a discussion with fellow Task Force members Don Irwin and Tyler Yagman. They identify the key takeaways from the House Financial Services Committee’s June 5th congressional hearing about the tokenization of real-world assets, its relation to cryptocurrency, and its potential to improve market efficiency and transparency. Bob, Don, and Tyler also discuss the importance of regulatory compliance, the differences between permissioned and permissionless blockchains, and tokenization's implications for future financial inclusion. Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3ZxikWG Want to learn more about emerging digital technologies and their development? Join us at the City Bar’s upcoming program: Guidelines for Users and Developers of AI Powered Technologies on October 10 (https://bit.ly/GUDAI) and view our catalogue of similar on-demand CLEs (https://bit.ly/BarCTFDT). Visit nycbar.org/events to find all of the most

President Muhammad Faridi hosts Rich Miller (former Chief of Energy Policy for New York City and former Vice President of Energy and Environmental Law at Con Edison) and Robie Craig (Senior Energy Council at the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services), Co-Chairs of the City Bar Energy Law Committee. The conversation touches on various aspects of energy policy and its relevance to New York City, including historical perspectives on power generation, the current shift towards clean energy, and the implementation of regulatory mandates such as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and the Build Public Renewables Act. Muhammad, Rich and Robie also explore the city's efforts to balance environmental justice with the need for reliable energy supply, the role of Con Edison, challenges posed by intermittent renewable sources, and the steps New York City is taking to support electric vehicle adoption. Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3XhBhtK Want

In this episode of the New York City Bar Association podcast, hosted by Sara Chekroun and sponsored by the Animal Law Committee, the spotlight is on Steven Wise's pioneering legal career and his legacy with the Non-Human Rights Project (NHRP). Guests Courtney Fern and Elizabeth Stein, both attorneys with NHRP, delve into Wise's groundbreaking legal strategies that fundamentally altered the framework for animal advocacy. They discuss the application of writs of habeas corpus for non-human animals, emphasizing the importance of scientific evidence in advancing animal rights cases. The conversation also covers current legislative efforts to secure bodily liberty for elephants and other animals, underscoring the impact Wise's work has had on public and judicial perceptions of animal rights. The episode pays tribute to Steven Wise's enduring influence in the realm of animal law. Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/479Ng17 Read the City Bar Animal Law Committee’s recent report supporting an N

The metaverse isn’t just the future, it’s already here and growing in every direction. But with so many players and users expanding in the space, the boundaries between metaverse platforms are becoming more cumbersome and complex. Flora Lau and Terry Dugan of the New York City Bar Association Digital Technologies Task Force host Larry Goldberg, a pioneer in media accessibility, and Debbie Rosenbaum, a leading attorney at Meta with extensive experience in Oculus and immersive spaces. They share their thoughts on developing cross-platform standards for the metaverse, discuss the role of avatars and digital identity, and explore the challenges of making the metaverse inclusive for people with disabilities. The episode explores technical challenges, policy considerations, and the importance of social norms within virtual environments. Key topics include interoperability, the economics of digital assets, and the potential for innovative applications in extended reality. Access a transcript of this episode here: h

Muhammad Faridi, President of the New York City Bar Association, is joined by Boaz Morag, a Counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and one of the lead drafters of a recent City Bar report analyzing for the Office of the Legal Advisor in the U.S. Department of State three private international law treaties: the Hague Convention on Choice of Courts Agreements (COCA), the Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Judgments Convention), and the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention). These treaties deal with the cross-border recognition and enforcement of court judgments and mediated settlement agreements. We investigate the purpose and impact of these treaties on current practice in this country and on U.S. litigants who seek to enforce U.S. courts judgments abroad, the status of the treaties, and the detailed recommendations provided in the City Bar report. The episode provides an

Hayley Gorenberg, co-chair of the LGBTQ Rights Committee, and Mary-Ellen La Rosa, Manager of Pipeline Initiatives and Education, discuss creating inclusive environments and understanding the broader social forces that contribute to inclusivity or lack thereof. They emphasize the importance of training oneself to recognize and dismantle exclusion dynamics, using respectful language, and embracing allyship. The discussion covers challenges such as deadnaming, the significance of pronoun use, and the legal implications of persistent workplace discrimination. The episode also highlights the evolving language around LGBTQ+ identities and the critical role of allies in building supportive spaces. Want to continue your learning about inclusivity? Check out the City Bar’s on-demand program: Being Seen in Dialogue for Diversity: A Discussion on Intersectional Feminism in the Legal Profession https://bit.ly/3xD90oy Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3W15opI 00:00 Introduction to Inclusive Envi

Karyn A. Temple is the Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and one of the world’s leading authorities on copyright and anti-piracy. Karyn oversees the MPA’s legal affairs and content protection efforts worldwide. Before joining the MPA, Karyn served more than eight years in the U.S. Copyright Office as the Register of Copyrights, where she led the 400-person agency and its eight divisions. Karyn previously served as Vice President of Litigation and Legal Affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), spent several years as a litigation associate at the law firm, Williams & Connolly LLP, and received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where she was Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review, and served as Chairperson of the Columbia Black Law Students’ Association. Karyn recently joined the Board of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice and has served in several prominent volunteer positions i

On today’s podcast the City Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) hosts a discussion with Lara Gregory, an attorney, activist and community leader. Together with LAP Clinical Coordinator Michele Cuevas (JD, LCSW), Ms. Gregory talks about her roots in the Philippines and in the legal community as well as her experience as an AAPI woman lawyer. Ms. Gregory shared about the activism in support of the AAPI community and against AAPI hate which she has led and participated in, and gave her perspective on the impact of hate crimes on broader communities. She also spoke about the need to speak candidly and openly about women’s health both in the legal profession and beyond. Lara Gregory is an attorney with over twenty years of experience; recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of the President of the United States and AmeriCorps; a member of the Hate Crimes Task Force of the National Federation of Filipino Association and Filipino Americans for Racial Action; a member of the AAPI Advisory Board