The legal industry is in a state of constant change. New challenges arise quickly and what worked one quarter may not be as effective the next. During this time, many legal professionals have been exploring ways to offer help in different and innovative ways. This practice is often referred to as law new. This concept is not always easy to define but generally it encompasses practices that go beyond focusing on technology and the traditional partner track.
The goal of law new is to find a better way to serve clients by combining traditional legal services with other methodologies, strategies and delivery methods. This can include working with underserved communities, collaborating with other companies, using alternative methods to work with clients and more. A well-thought out plan utilizing these techniques can benefit clients without impacting other areas of legal service that might be the firm’s primary focus.
While this practice is not a new idea, the way we think about it has changed. Previously, this type of approach was considered to be an add-on to existing practices. Now, firms that choose to focus on this approach are often considering it as a strategic direction for their firm. The question is whether this can be a successful strategy for long term growth.
In the future, the legal industry will more closely resemble its corporate customers and society-at-large in terms of its diversity. It will be more holistically diverse cognitively, demographically, culturally and experientially. Its workforce will be creative, tech and data-proficient, and empathetic. It will be integrated across enterprise business units and industry sectors and will work as part of a unified team whose focus is customer/end-user impact and value.
This bill would amend the City’s data breach notification laws to align them with requirements in New York State law (e.g., the SHIELD Act). The bill would also expand the types of information that City agencies must disclose when they suffer a data breach and have reason to believe that persons’ private identifying information has been accessed, disclosed or used by an unauthorized person.
The Office of the Attorney General and the Division of Municipal Law have been reviewing the law to determine if there are any gaps or issues that require further clarification or revisions. This is the first step in a comprehensive review of the entire body of municipal law.
New York law is a complex mix of federal and state legislation, regulations and court decisions that are implemented and enforced locally by municipal agencies. The New York City Law Library maintains an online searchable database of the current laws of the City, including those passed by the Council of the City of New York, those passed by the Mayor and the Borough Presidents and those codified in the New York City Code and New York Consolidated Laws. The Database allows users to search by subject matter and to view the text of current and past laws in PDF format.