New York State Legislative Agenda
The New York City Bar Association’s 2026 New York State Legislative Agenda is grounded in our mission to equip and mobilize a diverse legal profession to practice with excellence, promote reform of the law, and uphold the rule of law and access to justice in support of a fair society and the public interest. Drawing on the expertise of its members and committees across a wide range of practice areas, the City Bar engages with the New York State Legislature, Executive and Judiciary on issues affecting the administration of justice, the legal profession, and New Yorkers more broadly.
How to Read This Agenda
This Agenda reflects the breadth of issues on which the City Bar engages with respect to State legislation and the varying forms that engagement may take. The issues described herein include City Bar–initiated legislative proposals, active advocacy informed by member involvement and legislative opportunity, and institutional policy positions that express the City Bar’s longstanding values and expertise. While this Agenda focuses on State legislative priorities, some issues may also be advanced through the State budget or other executive-led policy mechanisms. The City Bar’s committees generate dozens of reports over the course of each legislative session and this agenda represents only a curated portion of those positions; we will engage on emerging or time-sensitive issues not expressly identified in this Agenda as legislative and policy developments evolve. For a full directory of City Bar reports, including positions on regulatory changes and our local, federal and international work, please visit our website.
Click through below to explore the full Agenda.
The Judiciary & Access to Justice
- Repeal the Population-Based Constitutional Cap on Supreme Court Justices and Modernize the Assessment of Judicial Needs
- Sustain and Expand Civil Legal Services Funding through the Judiciary Budget to Promote Access to Justice
- Strengthen Right to Counsel and Assigned Counsel Systems through Sustainable Funding and Compensation
- Reform and Modernize the Administration of Class Actions in New York’s Courts
The Legal Profession, Ethics & Professional Oversight
- Ensure Confidentiality and Protection for Ethics Hotline Inquiries
- Permit Nonresident Attorneys to Practice in New York without Maintaining a Physical Office in State
Access to Essential Services & Legal Protections for Vulnerable New Yorkers
- Provide Internet Access to Individuals Living in Temporary Housing throughout New York State to Ensure Adequate Access to Services
- Safeguard Vulnerable New Yorkers’ Valuables
- Support New York’s Nonprofit Organizations
Good Government & the Rule of Law
- Raise and Reset Expectations about State Ethics Enforcement in New York
Criminal Justice Reform in New York
- End Mandatory Minimum Sentences
- Expand Treatment-Based Alternatives
- Reform Parole & Resentencing Laws
Children & Families
- Protecting Children during Custodial Police Interrogations
- Adopt a Parental Bill of Rights in Child Protective Services Investigations
- Reform and Improve New York Family Court for All Litigants
Business, Commercial & Consumer Law
- Modernize Electronic Transactions
- Strengthen Flex Rating for For-Hire Vehicle Insurance
Download the agenda: Overview | Full PDF
Contact:
Elizabeth Kocienda | Director of Advocacy
212-382-4788, ekocienda@nycbar.org
Mary Margulis-Ohnuma | Senior Policy Counsel
212-382-6767, mmargulis-ohnuma@nycbar.org
Raabia Qasim | Associate Policy Counsel
212.382.6655, rqasim@nycbar.org