Cuomo Signs Bill Affording Attorney-Client Privilege to Lawyer Referral Services (New York Law Journal)
New York Law Journal, August 27, 2018
Cuomo Signs Bill Affording Attorney-Client Privilege to Lawyer Referral Services
“Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved a bill on Aug. 24 that provides attorney-client privilege for communications between consumers and lawyer referral services. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. John Bonacic, R-Orange, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, D-Bronx, was introduced last year to provide confidentiality protections for individuals seeking an attorney. Dinowitz and Bonacic chair the Judiciary Committees in their respective chambers. The legislation adds a provision to the state judiciary law requiring that any communication between an individual and an agent or member of a lawyer referral service be kept confidential. The legislation takes effect immediately….The legislation was proposed by the New York state and New York City bar associations, both of which applauded Cuomo’s approval in statements….’The city bar was pleased to collaborate with the state bar and other New York bar associations to help bring this proposal to fruition, and to facilitate passage of an ABA resolution in the hopes that other states will follow suit,’ said David G. Keyko, chair of the city bar’s legal referral service committee. ‘We applaud the Legislature and the governor for enacting this measure into law.'”
