New York

Contact Information

Complaints
New York City (1st Dept.)
First Judicial Department
Departmental Disciplinary Committee
41 Madison Ave., 39th Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone: (212) 685-1000
Fax: (212) 545-8981

New York State (2nd Dept.)
Second Judicial Department
9th Judicial District Grievance Committee
Crosswest Office Center, Suite 200
399 Knollwood Road
White Plains, NY 10603
Phone: (914) 949-4540
Fax: (914) 949-0997

New York State (3rd Dept.)
Third Judicial Department
Committee on Professional Standards
Alfred E. Smith Office Bldg., 22nd Floor
P.O. Box 7013
Capitol Station Annex
Albany, NY 12225-0013
Phone: (518) 474-8816
Fax: (518) 474-0389

State Bar
New York State Bar Association
One Elk Street
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (518) 463-3200
Fax: (518) 487-5694

Status

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York Committee on Professional and Judicial Ethics published Opinion 1998-2 on December 21, 1998. The opinion says that a law firm should maintain a copy of its website for at least one year, but need not file a copy with the Departmental Disciplinary Committee. A law firm that establishes a discussion area on its website should exercise caution and vigilance to avoid the establishment of an attorney-client relationship and impermissible advertising or solicitation. A law firm may not pay a fee to an Internet service provider calculated by reference to fees earned by the law firm from the provision of on-line services. A law firm may not post a form for a new customer to request a trademark or copyright search, but may do so for existing clients. A law firm need not encrypt all e-mail communications containing confidential client information, but should advise its clients and prospective clients communicating with the firm by e-mail that security of communications over the Internet is not as secure as other forms of communications.

The Committee on Professional Ethics of the New York County Lawyers' Association published opinion 721 on May 14, 1997. The opinion addressed the issue of attorney participation in an Internet "Attorney Referral Board." With certain exceptions, the Committee found that participation was allowed and that the listing was not a prohibited for-profit lawyer referral service. The opinion will be published at this site shortly.

Rules and Regulations

New York State ethics opinions are available.

The Legal Information Institute offers a full version of the New York Code of Professional Responsibility. The New York Bar Association also offers an HTML version of the Code of Professional Responsibility.

Potential Issues

DR 2-101: No false or misleading communication.
DR 2-105: Identification of attorney as specialist.
Local Department rules: Submisstion of advertisement.

Other Local Associations

Association of the Bar of the City of New York The Association of the Bar of the City of New York Web home page.
Dutchess County Bar Association The Dutchess County Bar Association.
Nassau County Bar Association The Nassau County Bar Association gopher.
New York State Defenders Association "The New York State Defenders Association is a not-for-profit, membership organization serving New York's criminal defense community since 1967. Its objectives are to improve the quality of defense services in New York State, establish standards for practice in the representation of poor people, and engage in a statewide program of community legal action."
New York State Trial Lawyers Association The New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) Web home page offers research reports on medical malpractice, workers safety and the civil justice system issues, and other materials of interest to the public and media.