Senate Bill S7860A

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 - On Floor Calendar


  • 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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Actions
Votes

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S7860 - Details

Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-S7860 - 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-S7860 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7860 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7860
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- 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
 
   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
 S. 7860                             2
              

co-Sponsors

2025-S7860A - Details

Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-S7860A - 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-S7860A - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7860A - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7860--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MAY -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11929-06-5
 S. 7860--A                          2
              

co-Sponsors

2025-S7860B (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:
Judiciary Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§53 & 468-a, add §484-a, Judy L

2025-S7860B (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-S7860B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7860B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7860--B
     Cal. No. 1209
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MAY -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee -- reported favorably from said  commit-
   tee,  ordered  to first and second report, ordered to a third reading,
   amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place  in  the  order  of
   third reading
 
 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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