Relates to pro bono service by attorneys and candidates for admission to the bar

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10288

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                      May 11, 2026
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

        AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to pro  bono  service  by
          attorneys  and  candidates for admission to the bar; and providing for
          the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  3  of  section  53  of the judiciary law, as
     2  amended by chapter 450 of the laws  of  1994,  is  amended  to  read  as
     3  follows:
     4    3.  The  court shall prescribe rules providing for a uniform system of
     5  examination of candidates for admission to  practice  as  attorneys  and
     6  counsellors,  which shall govern the state board of law examiners in the
     7  performance of its duties. SUCH RULES MAY REQUIRE A CANDIDATE FOR ADMIS-
     8  SION TO THE BAR TO COMPLETE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS OF QUALIFYING  PRO
     9  BONO  SERVICE  PRIOR  TO  FILING AN APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION; PROVIDED,
    10  HOWEVER, THAT SUCH QUALIFYING PRO BONO SERVICE  SHALL  NOT  INCLUDE  ANY
    11  HOURS  ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
    12  AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CANDIDATE FOR  ADMISSION'S  SUPERVISOR  OR  THE
    13  SUPERVISOR'S LAW FIRM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH THE FEDERAL
    14  GOVERNMENT  SPECIFIES  THE  RECIPIENT  OR RECIPIENTS OR TYPE OR TYPES OR
    15  NATURE OF SUCH LEGAL SERVICES. The court shall not by its rules cause to
    16  be barred from examination or, upon successful completion of  the  exam-
    17  ination  process, subsequent admission to the state bar, provided [he or
    18  she] THE CANDIDATE shall otherwise meet any requirements for  admission,
    19  any  person who is currently admitted to practice in the jurisdiction of
    20  another state and has received a degree from a law school  which  quali-
    21  fies  such person to practice law in such state, other than a law school
    22  which grants credit  for  correspondence  courses,  provided  that  such
    23  person  has  been  engaged in the actual practice of law in the state in
    24  which they are admitted for no less than five years.
    25    § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 468-a of the judiciary law, as added  by
    26  chapter 714 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11929-10-6
        S. 10288                            2

     1    3.  The  chief  administrator  shall  prescribe the form in which such
     2  registry of attorneys shall be maintained and the procedures for  public
     3  access thereto, and may make all such other rules and regulations neces-
     4  sary  and  appropriate  to  implement and enforce the provisions of this
     5  section. SUCH FORM MAY REQUIRE AN ATTORNEY TO REPORT THE NUMBER OF HOURS
     6  OF  PRO  BONO SERVICE COMPLETED BY THE ATTORNEY AT THE TIME THE ATTORNEY
     7  FILES A BIENNIAL REGISTRATION STATEMENT; PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  SUCH
     8  QUALIFYING PRO BONO SERVICE SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY HOURS ASSISTING IN THE
     9  PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN AN
    10  ATTORNEY  OR  THE  ATTORNEY'S  LAW FIRM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER
    11  WHICH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPECIFIES THE RECIPIENT  OR  RECIPIENTS  OR
    12  TYPE OR TYPES OR NATURE OF SUCH LEGAL SERVICES.
    13    §  3.  The  judiciary  law is amended by adding a new section 484-a to
    14  read as follows:
    15    § 484-A. COMPULSORY LEGAL SERVICES PROHIBITED. NO LAW FIRM EMPLOYER IN
    16  THE STATE OF NEW YORK MAY REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE TO ASSIST IN THE PROVISION
    17  OF LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LAW FIRM
    18  AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT  SPECIFIES
    19  THE  RECIPIENT  OR  RECIPIENTS  OR TYPE OR TYPES OR NATURE OF SUCH LEGAL
    20  SERVICES.
    21    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    22  it shall have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed Janu-
    23  ary 20, 2029.   Effective immediately, the  addition,  amendment  and/or
    24  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    25  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    26  on or before such effective date.