New York City Bar Association Podcasts -NYC Bar

Part 1: Introduction And Morning Plenary

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

Introduction: Roger Juan Maldonado, President, New York City Bar Association

Speakers: Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis, S. Jeanine Conley, Carrie Goldberg, Andrea Johnson, Cynthia Lowen, LaDonna Powell, Elizabeth Saylor

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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

This panel features a discussion of three developments in federal social welfare policy under the Trump administration: (1) work requirements imposed on SNAP recipients; (2) work requirements imposed on Medicaid recipients; and (3) anticipated regulatory changes to “public charge,” which would prevent non-citizens from obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status for using (or their U.S. Citizen dependents using) a broad range of government benefits and services, many of which function as work supports for low-wage workers, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and subsidized health insurance. The panel examines these reforms in the historical context of welfare reform, including its emphasis on work requirements and the exclusion of immigrants, look at the recent Executive Order and legislative proposals on work rules and discuss strategies for addressing the changes, including litigation.

Speakers:

Jamila Michener, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Cornell University

David A. Super, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center

Mara Youdelman, Managing Attorney, National Health Law Program (NHeLP), D.C. Office

Jackie Vimo, Economic Justice Policy Analyst, National Immigration Law Center

Lynn D. Lu, Clinical Professor, CUNY School of Law

Katharine Deabler, Staff Attorney, National Center on Law & Economic Justice

Moderator:

Susan Welber, Chair, Social Welfare Law Committee; Staff Attorney, The Legal Aid Society, Civil Practice Law Reform Unit

Sponsoring Committee:

Social Welfare Law Committee, Susan Welber, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Committees:

Immigration and Nationality Law Committee, Victoria Neilson, Chair

International Human Rights Committee, Anil Kalhan, Chair

Civil Rights Committee, Philip Desgranges, Chair

Pro Bono and Legal Services, Alison King and Amy Barasch, Co-Chairs

Co-Sponsoring Organizations:

City Bar Justice Center

New York Immigration Coalition

The Legal Aid Society

Make the Road NY

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gives the keynote address at the New York City Bar Association’s 7th Annual White Collar Crime Institute on May 9, 2018.

City Bar Senior Policy Counsel Maria Cilenti speaks with Vickie Neilson, Chair of the City Bar’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee, about the immigration court system and concerns over changes in procedures that could speed up the deportation process at the expense of due process and the independence of immigration judges.

The program provides an overview of what is sometimes an intimidating process, breaks it down to basics, and provides attendees with an understanding of what is necessary to run for office in New York City. The panel covers topics ranging from evaluating for which offices you are qualified to run, the mechanics of petitioning, the administrative process of filing and defending your petitions at the Board of Elections, and an overview of why and how petitions wind up the subject of court battles. There is also information on a candidate's responsibility to comply with Campaign Finance law, and a review of best practices for setting yourself up for a successful experience with those filings.

Speakers:

Martin E. Connor, Private election law practitioner, 30 years in the NYS Senate, former NYS Senate Minority Leader, Chair of City Bar Election Law Committee

Sarah K. Steiner, Private election law practitioner, Former Chair of City Bar Election Law Committee

Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chair, New York State Board of Elections

Raphael Savino, Deputy General Counsel, Board of Elections in the City of New York

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Election Law Committee, Martin E. Connor, Chair

Ambassador Dani Dayan discusses the state of affairs in the Middle East and offers a review of Israel’s diplomatic, humanitarian and economic relationships in the international arena. Additionally, Ambassador Dayan addresses the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and offers his observations on the issue.

Ambassador Dayan represents the State of Israel to communities throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Delaware. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he is the first Hispanic Consul General of Israel in New York.

The Public Affairs Luncheon Series features speakers who address matters of public interest. The luncheons provide a forum to enable members of the City Bar to network, socialize and discuss matters of interest. The luncheons are open to the public.

Speaker:

Ambassador Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel in New York

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Senior Lawyers Committee, Barry Bloom, Chair

Adam Skaggs, the Chief Counsel of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, speaks with Ira Feinberg, a member of the City Bar’s Executive Committee and Association Secretary, about the legal issues involved in gun control.

This podcast is intended to move the conversation beyond the often misleading political and Second Amendment rhetoric surrounding gun rights to a discussion about Second Amendment law: what the Constitution and the courts actually say about these issues.

The dairy industry has made recent legal efforts to stop companies from using the terms “milk” and “cheese” for plant-based foods like soymilk and nut cheeses. The industry claims these product names mislead consumers and cash in on the reputation of animal-derived foods. Plant-based food producers disagree and have called for regulations that expressly let them use these terms for their products. Attorneys representing dairy farmers and plant-based food organizations discuss the issue at this program.

Speakers:

Nigel A. Barrella, Law Office of Nigel A. Barrella

Lorraine Lewandrowski, Lawyer and Dairy Farmer

Lori Barrett-Peterson, Chair, NYC Bar Animal Law Committee

Moderator:

Bari Wolf, Vernon & Ginsburg LLP

Sponsoring Association Committee:

Animal Law Committee, Lori Barrett-Peterson, Chair

Hear the First Lady of New York City discuss ThriveNYC, a program intended to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues and provide New Yorkers with the tools to respond to these challenges.

Speaker:

Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City

Sponsoring Association Committee:

New York City Affairs Committee, Jerry Goldfeder, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Association Committees:

Bioethical Issues Committee, Mary Beth Morrissey, Chair

Disability Law Committee, John Egan, Chair

Health Law Committee, Kathleen Burke, Chair

Lawyer Assistance Program Committee, Hon. Linda Poust Lopez, Chair

Mental Health Law Committee, Naomi Weinstein, Chair

Mindfulness & Well-Being in Law Committee, Cecilia Loving, Robert Chender and Bjorn Sorenson, Co-Chairs

This event addresses the global crackdown on civil society space and the resulting challenges in protecting fundamental rights and freedoms. While threats are global, documented in over 100 countries, this event focuses on those experienced specifically in India, Russia/Eastern Europe and the United States. The worldwide trend, which extends beyond authoritarian regimes to democracies in many regions, includes new laws restricting or prohibiting protest and other forms of political activism; direct targeting of activists, journalists, and human rights defenders; and regulatory and funding obstacles aimed at non-profit organizations. Discussion addresses restrictions on the freedoms of assembly and expression in the United States in the context of a worldwide pattern of shrinking space for civic engagement and dissent. The speakers also share resistance strategies activists and human rights defenders are using to counter this crackdown.

Speakers:

Sukti Dhital, Deputy Director, Robert L. Bernstein Institute for Human Rights

Melissa Hooper, Director, Human Rights and Civil Society, Human Rights First

Baher Azmy, Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights

Moderator:

Judge Sidney H. Stein, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Sponsoring Association Committee:

International Human Rights Committee, Anil Kalhan, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Association Committees:

Asian Affairs Committee, Angus Ni, Chair

Council on International Affairs, Martin Flaherty, Chair

European Affairs Committee, Victor Muskin, Chair

Task Force on Independence of Lawyers & Judges, William August Wilson III, Chair

Task Force on National Security & the Rule of Law, Mark Shulman, Chair

United Nations Committee, Michael Cooper, Chair