Brian Lee

February 22, 2023 | New York Law Journal

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government appointed Keith C. St. John to general counsel; Kavita K. Bhatt to deputy general counsel; Carol Quinn to director of lobbying; Michael Sande to director of ethics; and Megan E. Mutolo to deputy director of lobbying.

By Brian Lee

4 minute read

February 21, 2023 | New York Law Journal

As the vacancy is reposted, the influential coalition that demanded progressive candidates is once again reaching out to people who it believes would make excellent candidates, encouraging them to apply.

By Brian Lee

6 minute read

February 21, 2023 | New York Law Journal

The decision has importance because, even after last week's vote by the Senate rejecting Justice Hector LaSalle nomination, it holds the Senate is required to conduct a floor vote on any nomination, and that the committee cannot prevent the nomination from reaching the floor.

By Brian Lee

3 minute read

February 17, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Carmen Velasquez, a Queens Supreme Court justice and the United States' first Ecuadorian-American judge, said she and other judges aren't happy about being excluded. But a court spokesperson said the Judiciary Law mandates that the courts must use certain ethnic and racial categories as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

By Brian Lee

3 minute read

February 16, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A court watcher wondered if some judges would be dissuaded from applying for the post after seeing what LaSalle, a respected centrist jurist who manages a midlevel appeals court in Brooklyn, faced.

By Brian Lee

7 minute read

February 15, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Senate Democrats voted down the nomination, arguing LaSalle has been too conservative on reproductive rights and labor issues. But at his hearing, LaSalle said he is pro-choice and comes from a union family.

By Brian Lee

8 minute read

February 15, 2023 | New York Law Journal

In the wake of the COVID experience, New York courts must enhance technological capacity and increase court staffing.

By Brian Lee

5 minute read

February 14, 2023 | New York Law Journal

The bar group also wants to expand throughout the state New York City's right-to-counsel law that provides free services to income-eligible tenants in the city who are facing an eviction.

By Brian Lee

6 minute read

February 10, 2023 | New York Law Journal

The governor's budget seeks to increase assigned counsel rates to $158 an hour in downstate localities, and to $119 an hour upstate.

By Brian Lee

4 minute read

February 09, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Justice Mary M. Farley, president of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, said premature public disclosure prior to a final disposition risks unwarranted humiliation, undeserved injury to reputation and other adverse consequences that can;'t happen to other officials.

By Brian Lee

5 minute read