Assembly Bill A8318B

2025-2026 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2025-A8318 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S7860
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-A8318 - Summary

Authorizes a requirement of pro bono service as a condition of admission to the bar or attorney registration; exempts pro bono work performed pursuant to an agreement with the federal government if the federal government designates the recipients of the pro bono work or type or types or nature of such legal services; provides for the expiration of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

2025-A8318 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8318
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred 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
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivision  3  of  section  53  of the judiciary law, as
 amended by chapter 450 of the laws  of  1994,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   3.  The  court shall prescribe rules providing for a uniform system of
 examination of candidates for admission to  practice  as  attorneys  and
 counsellors,  which shall govern the state board of law examiners in the
 performance of its duties. SUCH RULES MAY REQUIRE A CANDIDATE FOR ADMIS-
 SION TO THE BAR TO COMPLETE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS OF QUALIFYING  PRO
 BONO  SERVICE  PRIOR  TO  FILING AN APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION; PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER, THAT SUCH QUALIFYING PRO BONO SERVICE  SHALL  NOT  INCLUDE  ANY
 HOURS  ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
 AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CANDIDATE FOR ADMISSION'S  SUPERVISOR  AND  THE
 FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  UNDER  WHICH  THE  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPECIFIES THE
 RECIPIENT OR RECIPIENTS OR  TYPE  OR  TYPES  OR  NATURE  OF  SUCH  LEGAL
 SERVICES. The court shall not by its rules cause to be barred from exam-
 ination  or,  upon  successful  completion  of  the examination process,
 subsequent admission to the state bar, provided [he or she]  THE  CANDI-
 DATE shall otherwise meet any requirements for admission, any person who
 is  currently  admitted to practice in the jurisdiction of another state
 and has received a degree from a law school which qualifies such  person
 to  practice  law  in  such  state, other than a law school which grants
 credit for correspondence courses, provided that such  person  has  been
 engaged  in  the  actual  practice of law in the state in which they are
 admitted for no less than five years.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11929-03-5
 A. 8318                             2

2025-A8318A - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S7860
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-A8318A - Summary

Authorizes a requirement of pro bono service as a condition of admission to the bar or attorney registration; exempts pro bono work performed pursuant to an agreement with the federal government if the federal government designates the recipients of the pro bono work or type or types or nature of such legal services; provides for the expiration of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

2025-A8318A - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8318--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted
   as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to pro  bono  service  by
   attorneys and candidates for admission to the bar

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 3 of  section  53  of  the  judiciary  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  450  of  the  laws  of 1994, is amended to read as
 follows:
   3. The court shall prescribe rules providing for a uniform  system  of
 examination  of  candidates  for  admission to practice as attorneys and
 counsellors, which shall govern the state board of law examiners in  the
 performance of its duties. SUCH RULES MAY REQUIRE A CANDIDATE FOR ADMIS-
 SION  TO THE BAR TO COMPLETE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS OF QUALIFYING PRO
 BONO SERVICE PRIOR TO FILING AN  APPLICATION  FOR  ADMISSION;  PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER,  THAT  SUCH  QUALIFYING  PRO BONO SERVICE SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY
 HOURS ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT  TO
 AN  AGREEMENT  BETWEEN  THE  CANDIDATE FOR ADMISSION'S SUPERVISOR OR THE
 SUPERVISOR'S LAW FIRM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT SPECIFIES THE RECIPIENT OR RECIPIENTS OR  TYPE  OR  TYPES  OR
 NATURE OF SUCH LEGAL SERVICES. The court shall not by its rules cause to
 be  barred  from examination or, upon successful completion of the exam-
 ination process, subsequent admission to the state bar, provided [he  or
 she]  THE CANDIDATE shall otherwise meet any requirements for admission,
 any person who is currently admitted to practice in the jurisdiction  of
 another  state  and has received a degree from a law school which quali-
 fies such person to practice law in such state, other than a law  school
 which  grants  credit  for  correspondence  courses,  provided that such
 person has been engaged in the actual practice of law in  the  state  in
 which they are admitted for no less than five years.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11929-07-5

2025-A8318B (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S7860
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-A8318B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes a requirement of pro bono service as a condition of admission to the bar or attorney registration; exempts pro bono work performed pursuant to an agreement with the federal government if the federal government designates the recipients of the pro bono work or type or types or nature of such legal services; provides for the expiration of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

2025-A8318B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8318--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted
   as amended and recommitted to said committee --  again  reported  from
   said  committee  with  amendments,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and
   recommitted to said committee

 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:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  3  of  section  53  of the judiciary law, as
 amended by chapter 450 of the laws  of  1994,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   3.  The  court shall prescribe rules providing for a uniform system of
 examination of candidates for admission to  practice  as  attorneys  and
 counsellors,  which shall govern the state board of law examiners in the
 performance of its duties. SUCH RULES MAY REQUIRE A CANDIDATE FOR ADMIS-
 SION TO THE BAR TO COMPLETE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS OF QUALIFYING  PRO
 BONO  SERVICE  PRIOR  TO  FILING AN APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION; PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER, THAT SUCH QUALIFYING PRO BONO SERVICE  SHALL  NOT  INCLUDE  ANY
 HOURS  ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
 AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CANDIDATE FOR  ADMISSION'S  SUPERVISOR  OR  THE
 SUPERVISOR'S LAW FIRM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT  SPECIFIES  THE  RECIPIENT  OR RECIPIENTS OR TYPE OR TYPES OR
 NATURE OF SUCH LEGAL SERVICES. The court shall not by its rules cause to
 be barred from examination or, upon successful completion of  the  exam-
 ination  process, subsequent admission to the state bar, provided [he or
 she] THE CANDIDATE shall otherwise meet any requirements for  admission,
 any  person who is currently admitted to practice in the jurisdiction of
 another state and has received a degree from a law school  which  quali-
 fies  such person to practice law in such state, other than a law school
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11929-09-5

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