Dispatches from 90 State
EDITORS John S. Wallenstein Ben Ostrer
Jennifer Van Ort Executive Director Greetings! I hope you had a relaxing and fun summer! Here at NYSACDL, we are enjoying some slower days by taking time to wrap up items from earlier in the year and plan for the fall and 2020. We’ve been digesting the new landmark changes in NYS criminal justice legislation, coordinating the upcoming fall CLE seminars, some focused on those landmark changes, and working on new initiatives that help law students interested in criminal defense, and much more!
A publication of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ©2019 NYSACDL 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207 Phone: 518-443-2000 Fax: 888-239-4665 www.nysacdl.org atticus@nysacdl.org
As you will read in this issue of Atticus, NYSACDL’s Board of Directors, Legislative Committee, member volunteers, and partner organizations were actively involved in the historic changes in New York State’s Discovery, Bail, & Speedy Trial laws. Through attending lobby days, contacting legislators, sharing social media posts, and more, many of you were played a role in bringing about these important transformations. We know that there are many more reforms that need to happen, and we are not resting on our laurels. We will continue to work in Albany and with our partners to continually improve New York’s criminal justice system for you and your clients.
Read a good book lately? Write a review of it, and submit to our Editor, John S. Wallenstein. Contact John at jswallensteinesq@ outlook.com
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As you know, the new laws will go into effect on January 1st. Now is the time to learn about the details of these reforms so you are prepared in January. NYSACDL is here to help you with that. In the spring, we held three programs in Syracuse, Binghamton, and Manhattan focused on these reforms. In the fall, we will continue ensuring you have ample opportunities to receive the information you need. NYSACDL CLE seminars continue to be among the best in the state and we are committed to providing every criminal defense practitioner, member or not, with the tools needed to properly serve his or her clients. In April, NYSACDL announced new initiatives for law students interested in pursuing a career in criminal defense. These initiatives include free membership for all law students in NYS. This membership will include access to the NYSACDL member resources and the listserv. If you see a new student on the listserv, wish them well and please be helpful! Additionally, thanks to the generosity of those who sponsored and attended the 2019 NYSACDL Foundation Annual Dinner, NYSACDL offered five $1,000 stipends to law students with criminal defense internships over the summer. We received many applications and it was difficult to narrow it down to five, but we are pleased with our selection of a diverse cohort of students for our first in what will hopefully be an annual program! Speaking of the dinner, planning is under way for next year’s event. Please save the date of January 30, 2020 at the Grand Hyatt New York for another fantastic occa-
Atticus | Volume 31 Number 2 | Fall 2019 | New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
