In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, the New York City Bar Association urges the U.S. government to call upon the United Nations to “perform its obligations” under the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN and provide an appropriate mode for settling claims that UN personnel are responsible for the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Last June, I wrote about the New York City Bar Association’s extensive policy recommendations for New York City’s mayoral candidates leading up to the election in November. Based on the collaborative effort of over two dozen City Bar committees, we issued a 95-page report from the perspectives of lawyers who work daily on issues vital to the City’s welfare.

On April 3rd, the City Bar presented its Association Medal for "exceptional contributions to the honor and standing of the bar in this community" to Hon. Leonard B. Sand, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

The New York City Bar Association has issued a new guide entitled “Judicial Selection Methods in the State of New York: A Guide to Understanding and Getting Involved in the Selection Process.”

One of the fastest-growing segments of the New York City Bar Association’s membership is solo and small-firm practitioners. This fact tracks one of the findings in our report on “New Lawyers in a Changing Profession,” which is that the number of new lawyers practicing in very small firms or as solo practitioners has doubled since 2007.

A joint report by the New York City Bar Association and Common Cause/New York (“Review Group”) finds that the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (“JCOPE”) thus far has fallen short in meeting its mission of acting vigorously to restore public confidence in government. While performing well in promulgating regulations and providing advice, JCOPE has not persuaded the public of its independence, has appeared reactive rather than proactive, and has not made sufficient use of its statutory authority, according to the report.