Survey by Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.  The Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, which is required to make recommendations to the Mayor regarding the qualifications of incumbent judges for reappointment to the Criminal, Family and Interim Civil Court, has asked for comments from LeGaL members and other bar associations with respect to their experiences with such judges. Please click here for additional details on participating.   

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            Recent Changes to the Estate Tax Laws:  

                 Impact on the LGBT Community  

              A Free CLE Program Presented by LeGaL
                                 May 23, 2011
                                                             6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.
                                                  The LGBT Community Center

In this program, Tom Sciacca, Esq. and Gregory Matalon, Esq., will discuss the recent amendments to the Federal estate and gift tax laws, with a focus on the LGBT community.  With the absence of marriage equality, LGBT couples often face higher estate taxes.  The recent changes to the law allow a narrow window of opportunity (available only through December 31, 2012) to transfer assets without incurring Federal estate and gift taxes.  Irrespective of the outcome of NYS or Federal marriage equality, attorneys can put their LGBT clients in the best possible position to minimize estate taxes. 

Topics covered:  

·    Overview of the estate and gift tax regime; Recent changes in the Internal Revenue Code; Changes to the estate tax laws for Decedents dying in 2011 and 2012
·    Elections available to Estates of Decedents who died in 2010; Changes in the gift and generation-skipping transfer tax laws for transfers made during 2011 and 2012
·    Changes to basis allocation and step-up from previous regime; Ethical considerations in representing the Executor of the Estate - duty to beneficiaries in electing portability of unused credit amounts; Ethical considerations for attorneys advising couples using flexible estate planning techniques and common distribution patterns
·    Status of IRS and New York State Department of Taxation & Finance recognition of LGBT New Yorkers married in jurisdictions that allow same-sex marriage; Pros and cons of advising LGBT couples to marry

Credits: 2.0 CLE credits: 1.5 in Professional Practice, 0.5 in Ethics (NJ attorneys will receive credit through reciprocity)   

Faculty:  

Tom Sciacca
Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC   
Gregory Matalon
Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP

Visit www.le-gal.org for more information or register below!

Register for CLE! 

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Defending (and not defending) DOMA: the King & Spalding Controversy

A Panel Discussion Presented by  

LeGaL & NYCLA's LGBT Issues Committee

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
6:30-8:00p.m.
NYCLA, 14 Vesey Street, NYC (2nd Floor Lounge)

(click here for program flyer) 

King & Spalding's initial decision to represent the Congressional Republicans in litigation concerning the Defense of Marriage of Act (DOMA) was met with a public campaign of criticism organized by one of the nation's leading LGBT rights organizations, the Human Rights Campaign.  The controversy, which culminated in the firm's request to withdraw from such representation and the resignation of a prominent partner, has fueled significant debate in the legal community and beyond.

Join the distinguished panelists listed below for a lively and timely discussion of recent events:

·  Is advocacy aimed at encouraging a law firm to drop a client ever appropriate? What responsibility, if any, do members of the legal profession have in the face of such pressure?

· Does the answer depend, in part, on whether the law being defended can be characterized as resting exclusively on historical animus or whether it's a civil or criminal matter?

· Is this any different from the criticism leveled at lawyers/firms for defending Guantanamo prisoners?  How far can or should law firms go in prohibiting certain activities of its attorneys in deference to its client's wishes?

· Should the withdrawal be viewed simply as a testament to an increasing societal commitment to equality or, instead, as evidence that the legal profession's tradition of defending unpopular clients is increasingly under assault?

Panel
Kevin Cathcart
Executive Director, Lambda Legal   

Professor Katherine Franke
Director, Center for Gender & Sexuality Law,
Columbia Law School

Pery D. Krinsky
Krinsky PLLC
Chair, NYCLA, Comm. on Professional Discipline
Chair, NYSBA, Ethics Committee of EASL Section   

Wesley R. Powell*
Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
* Lead counsel to six men challenging their detention in Guantanamo Bay    

Register Today 

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