Several bar associations in New York are advocating changes to a longstanding law that dictates in-state office requirements for legal practitioners within the region, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
The ongoing shift towards remote work, facilitated by advancements in technology, has rendered the necessity for maintaining a physical office obsolete according to these associations. The New York State and New York City bar associations are specifically encouraging Governor Kathy Hochul to approve a bill that eradicates a hundred-year-old law, which mandates lawyers practicing in New York to possess an in-office presence within the state.
Recognizing the substantial transformation of the legal landscape in recent years, the heads of both aforementioned bar associations have publicly expressed their support for the proposed changes in a joint press statement. This viewpoint is elaborated further in a joint letter penned by the associations, in which they appeal to Governor Hochul to endorse the bill into law.