The legal profession is a constantly evolving one. Firms must keep up with trends, adapt to changes and find ways to provide services that meet the needs of clients. This is why it’s so important for law firms to take advantage of what is known as “new law.” Though the concept is hard to define, it typically refers to innovative approaches to legal practice that allow attorneys to be creative in addressing the issues that affect their clients.
The latest example of new law in action is a revision to New York’s bail reform law that was passed last year and went into effect in early April. The change allows judges to impose cash bail in more situations and expands the list of pretrial conditions that they can require defendants to meet, including surrendering passports, not communicating with witnesses or victims, and participating in mental health or counseling programs.
Other new laws and rules in place include requiring third-party food delivery services to be licensed, making it unlawful for a landlord to refuse to rent to a person who has a warrant issued by the City for their arrest and requiring that motion picture theaters provide open captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired. DCWP also is implementing new legislation that requires any business that uses automated employment decision tools to conduct a bias audit and notify job candidates of the results.
Another new law is requiring City agencies to promptly disclose data breaches that may affect people’s private information. This law will also align the City’s data breach notification law with requirements in the state SHIELD Act.