NYSBA’s Definitive Guide to Virtual Lawyering

NYSBA’s Definitive Guide to Virtual Lawyering

8.17.2020

By Brandon Vogel

The world has not been the same since March 20.

That was the day Governor Andrew Cuomo offered all non-essential offices shut down and virtual lawyering became the new normal.

To help attorneys navigate these continued unprecedented times, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) has created, “Virtual Lawyering: A Practical Guide,” a centralized resource of 22 practical chapters and subchapters authored by former federal judges, former law clerks to judges, and some of the leading New York practitioners in their fields. The 341-page book is the first of its kind to be published by a bar association in the United States. It is now available for purchase on the NYSBA Online Store ($45 for members; $60 for non-members).

“Virtual Lawyering contains everything, from state and federal trial court practice, to appellate practice, to civil and criminal practice, to arbitration and mediation, to ethics and law practice management—and so much more,” said NYSBA President Scott M. Karson (Lamb & Barnosky), who wrote a foreword in the book. “And all of it is focused on just one goal—to help you, our members, become better lawyers even in rapidly changing times like these.”

“Whether you are a litigator, transactional attorney or in-house attorney, this ebook will provide you with practical, best practices as you seek to navigate through our ever-changing virtual legal world,” said Mark A. Berman (Ganfer Shore), editor of the Guide and founding chair of the Committee on Legal Technology and the Profession. “The purpose of this publication is to address how Virtual Lawyering will be the ‘new normal.’ The legal profession is now operating and will continue to operate virtually more and practice in person less. Instead, we will be mediating, arbitrating, litigating and arguing in court, closing transactions, and counseling individuals, families and corporate clients over virtual platforms, on issues ranging from the most commonplace tasks, such as a virtual notarization or executing a will, to holding a virtual hearing or trial before a court or closing on a multi-million dollar transaction.”

Topics include: Cybersecurity for Lawyers, Cloud Computing and Electronic Storage of Information, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Lawyering: A Natural Progression, Virtual Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Virtual Trusts and Estates Practice, among others.

Among the authors: Gail Gottehrer (Law Office of Gail Gottehrer), co-chair of the Committee on Legal Technology and the Profession; Tarique Collins (Click Therapeutics, Inc.); Hon. Katherine Forrest (former U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Stephen P. Younger (Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler), former president of the New York State Bar Association.