New York City Bar Association Podcasts -NYC Bar

On October 22, 2018, the City Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Committee held a program on how the evolving treatment of marijuana under the law affects the workplace. Learn how legalization of medical and recreational marijuana affect rights and obligations under the ADA, FLMA, and more.

Speakers:

George Schwab, Kraus & Zuchlewski LLP

Anne Dana, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Jay Jaffe, 1199 SEIU

Moderator:

Hanan Kolko, Meyer Suozzi English & Klein P.C.

Sponsoring Committee:

Labor & Employment Committee, Katherine Greenberg, Chair

In 1994, the UN Commission on Human Rights noted the increasing frequency of attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers, and court officials as well as the link which exists between the weakening of safeguards for these officials and human rights violations. In response, the Commission appointed a Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers to investigate and report on these attacks. The current Special Rapporteur, Professor Diego García-Sayán discussed his current role and work with attendees. This work includes his yearly report to the United Nations, examinations into judicial corruption, ideas on current international legal standards, efforts to update those standards so that they remain applicable in the face of new challenges to the legal and judicial professions, as well as both oversight and enforcement mechanisms.

Panel:

Diego Garcia-Sayan, UN Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges Lawyers

William A. Wilson III, Chair of the Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, Lawyers William A. Wilson III, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Organization Committee:

Council on International Affairs, Michael D. Cooper, Chair

International Human Rights Committee, Lauren Melkus, Chair

Pet food is a multibillion-dollar industry and has a significant impact on our current food system. Many humans consider themselves to be “pet parents” or “pet guardians” instead of “pet owners” which may have contributed to the growth in this industry. This program reviewed federal, state and local authority to regulate pet food and the relevant statutes. The program also discussed what information is mandatory on pet food labels and whether this information is meaningful to consumers. The program also focused on recent marketing trends in the pet food industry, such as holistic, natural, and organic pet foods, and what these terms even mean in the pet food context. Recent pet food recalls, including the 2007 melamine scandal, and the impact of failures in pet food regulation on human health was also discussed.

Panel:

Ellen Fried, Adjunct Professor, NYU Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Mary Alestra, Assistant Attorney General, Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau, NYS Attorney General’s Office

Moderator:

Bari Wolf, Vernon & Ginsburg LLP and Member, Animal Law Committee

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Animal Law Committee, Christopher Wlach, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Association Committee:

Consumer Affairs Committee, Darren Bowie, Chair

Jeh Johnson served as Secretary of Homeland Security from December 2013 to January 2017. Secretary Johnson was responsible for the federal government’s response to many of our nation’s most pressing issues, including immigration; cybersecurity; Russian interference in the election; counterterrorism; natural disasters; nuclear, chemical and biological threats; and the protection of critical infrastructure and the nation’s leadership. At the City Bar's Public Affairs Luncheon on October 9, 2018, Secretary Johnson reflected on his leadership experiences and shed light on the latest headlines.

On October 4, 2018, the New York City Bar Association presented Honorary Membership to Loretta Lynch, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Roger Juan Maldonado, the City Bar's President, gave welcome remarks and Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto, United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of New York, and Chair, Honors Committee, introduced Loretta Lynch and presented her with the award.

In New York City, there are hundreds of men and women on the sex offender registry who are subject to the Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA) residency restriction, which prevents them from living within 1,000 feet of a school. This little-known restriction has created enormous constitutional problems. Because our densely-populated city contains virtually no residences that comply with this restriction, prisons are holding these people past the length of their prison sentences if there is no SARA-compliant housing available – a time period that usually extends longer than a year. This event on September 11, 2018 addressed the history and policy behind the residency restriction, the impact of SARA on people who have committed sex offenses, and the legal challenges being made on behalf of people affected by SARA.

Panelists:

Michael Burke, Hodges Walsh Messemer & Burke, LLP

Bill Dobbs, Publisher, Dobbs Wire, newsletter about sex offense law and policy; Advisor, Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center at Mitchell Hamline Law School

Emily Horowitz, Professor and Chairperson, St. Francis College, Sociology and Criminal Justice Department

Susannah Karlin, Licensed Social Worker, Center for Appellate Litigation

Robert Newman, Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Practice, Special Litigation Unit

Greg Williams, The Fortune Society

Moderator:

Camilla Hsu, Appellate Counsel, Center for Appellate Litigation

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Criminal Justice Operations Committee, Sarah J. Berger, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Organization:

New York Sex Offense Working Group

On September 4, 2018, the New York City Bar Association and the New York Law Journal co-hosted an "Evening with the Candidates" Forum for the Democratic Attorney General Primary Candidates. The candidates covered a wide range of issues, from immigration and ICE in the courts, corruption, and consumer protection, to criminal justice reform, health care, and income inequality. From left: Roger Juan Maldonado (Moderator), President, New York City Bar Association; Candidates: Leecia Eve, Vice President, Government Affairs, Verizon; Letitia James, New York City Public Advocate; Sean Patrick Maloney, U.S. Representative for New York's 18th Congressional District; and Zephyr Teachout, Associate Professor of Law, Fordham University; Susan DeSantis (Moderator), Deputy Editor-in-Chief, New York Law Journal.

City Bar Senior Policy Counsel Maria Cilenti speaks with Jen Kim, Co-Director of the Immigrant Justice Project at the City Bar Justice Center, and Caitlin Miner-Le Grand, the City Bar Justice Center’s Fragomen Fellow about immigration and the border.

Part 3: Challenges and Strategies for Low-Wage and Immigrant Workers in Reporting Harassment - Where Criminal, Administrative, and Regulatory Remedies Intersect

Sexual Harassment & the Law: A Call to Action for Lawyers in the Era of #MeToo

Speakers: Danielle Alvarado, Daniela Contreras, Rebecca Nathanson, Hon. Laura Safer Espinoza, Marrisa Senteno, Cristina Velez

Topics:

Sexual harassment in agricultural work and how to prevent

What does sexual harassment look like in domestic workplaces and what rights do domestic workers have that differ from workers in other settings?

What is a U visa and how may someone who has been a victim of workplace sexual harassment be eligible?

Explanation of anti-retaliation provisions under New York State wage and hour law, and NYDOL’s U visa certification policy.

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This program provided a morning plenary addressing the changing legal landscape in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and a luncheon discussion around sexual harassment within the legal profession. In addition, break-out CLE sessions covered:

An Overview of Employer Best Practices for Investigating, Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Challenges and Strategies for Low-Wage and Immigrant Workers in Reporting Harassment

#MeTooAcademia: Special Considerations When Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases on Campus

Jurisdiction in Sexual Harassment: Where Criminal, Administrative, and Regulatory Remedies Intersect

Part 2: Jurisdiction in Sexual Harassment- Where Criminal, Administrative, and Regulatory Remedies Intersect

Sexual Harassment & the Law: A Call to Action for Lawyers in the Era of #MeToo

Panel: Christin Damiano, A.D.A. Jennifer Gaffney, Hollis V. Pfitsch, Council Member Keith Powers, Electra Yourke

Questions:

How should a victim of sexual harassment choose where to report?

When sexual harassment is severe, it may violate criminal law, such as sexual abuse, forcible touching, and unlawful surveillance.

What constitutes a violation of the NYC Human Rights Law with regards to sexual harassment in the workplace.

When and how can a victim of sexual harassment report to the EEOC, and what does that process look like?

Explanation of recent legislation passed by NY City Council to expand statute of limitation and jurisdiction for sexual harassment complainants.

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This program provided a morning plenary addressing the changing legal landscape in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and a luncheon discussion around sexual harassment within the legal profession. In addition, break-out CLE sessions covered:

An Overview of Employer Best Practices for Investigating, Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Challenges and Strategies for Low-Wage and Immigrant Workers in Reporting Harassment

#MeTooAcademia: Special Considerations When Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases on Campus

Jurisdiction in Sexual Harassment: Where Criminal, Administrative, and Regulatory Remedies Intersect