In this ever changing world of the law, it is important that lawyers embrace new ideas at every turn. This can be done in a variety of ways and is often termed “new law.” This can include working with underserved communities, coming up with creative strategies that may not have been part of traditional legal practice and exploring the potential for non-traditional forms of fee structures. This is an area of practice that requires a lot of focus and attention.
The law of a state or country consists of its constitution, laws passed by the legislature and regularly codified in the state’s Consolidated Laws, ordinances and decisions by courts that interpret these laws. State laws are known as statutory law, while federal laws are referred to as constitutional law or case law.
A new law is legislation that has been proposed, debated and passed by Congress or another legislative body. It becomes a public law, or act, when it is approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, formally enacted by the President and signed into effect.
AB 7273 requires NYCHA to notify residents in writing within 24 hours of whether their water is safe to use for cooking or drinking, and to ensure that those contracted to examine water quality samples do so in compliance with all relevant federal, state and local laws.
SB 8426 would require the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, in consultation with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, to prepare a notice for city agencies and job applicants regarding student loan forgiveness programs. The notice would be provided to agency employees and job applicants, and DCWP would make it available to employers in New York City.
In addition to these major pieces of legislation, the governor has a number of other bills in the works. Among these are bills that aim to protect tenants’ rights, increase the minimum wage and expand access to health care for the uninsured.
A well thought out plan that makes use of these new law techniques can be a valuable tool for any legal firm. It can offer the help that some clients need without impacting other areas of practice that might be a firm’s primary focus. This is a concept that all legal firms should be familiar with and understand how to utilize it to their advantage. Have a tip we should know about? Send it to Eyewitness News using our contact form. All submissions are subject to our Terms of Use.