Senate Bill S10288

                             
                     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:
 
   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.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 468-a of the judiciary law, as added  by
 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
 
   3.  The  chief  administrator  shall  prescribe the form in which such
 registry of attorneys shall be maintained and the procedures for  public
 access thereto, and may make all such other rules and regulations neces-
 sary  and  appropriate  to  implement and enforce the provisions of this
 section. SUCH FORM MAY REQUIRE AN ATTORNEY TO REPORT THE NUMBER OF HOURS
 OF  PRO  BONO SERVICE COMPLETED BY THE ATTORNEY AT THE TIME THE ATTORNEY
 FILES A BIENNIAL REGISTRATION STATEMENT; 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 AN
 ATTORNEY  OR  THE  ATTORNEY'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.
   §  3.  The  judiciary  law is amended by adding a new section 484-a to
 read as follows:
   § 484-A. COMPULSORY LEGAL SERVICES PROHIBITED. NO LAW FIRM EMPLOYER IN
 THE STATE OF NEW YORK MAY REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE TO ASSIST IN THE PROVISION
 OF LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE 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.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed Janu-
 ary 20, 2029.   Effective immediately, the  addition,  amendment  and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such effective date.