New York City Bar Council on International Affairs

On May 9, 2019 the Committee on Drugs and the Law hosted a conversation between policy experts and government representatives to discuss the proposed adult use cannabis legislation. The occasion marks the 75th anniversary of the LaGuardia Report, the first in-depth study into the effects of consuming cannabis in the United States, a study that controverted many of the myths promoted by drug prohibitionists. Presently, New York City and State face a shift to regulating the largest unregulated cannabis market in the United States after 92 years of prohibition. The panel discussed the challenges and issues that arise in implementing the proposed cannabis legislation currently in Albany. Moderator: Shea Gunther, Producer, of Marijuana Today: Business & Politics Podcast Speakers: Axel Bernabe, Assistant Counsel, Governor Cuomo for Health Cristina Buccola, Founder of Cristina Buccola Counsel PLLC Doug Greene, Legislative Director of Empire State NORML Senator Liz Krueger, New York Senator, Chair of the Finance

Welcome: Roger Juan Maldonado, President, New York City Bar Association Introduction: Barry H. Garfinkel, Of Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Speaker: Hon. Jon O. Newman, United States Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The Leslie H. Arps Memorial Lectures are made possible by the generosity of the firm of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates. Sponsoring Association Committee: Committee on The Leslie H. Arps Lectures, Barry H. Garfinkel and Scott Musoff, Co-Chairs Former Arps Lecture Speakers Include: Hon. Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (1989), Hon. Lawrence E. Walsh (1991), Hon. James L. Oakes (1992), Herbert Brownell (1993), Dean John D. Feerick (1996), Hon. Robert W. Sweet (1997), Hon. Patricia M. Wald (1999), Leon Silverman (2003), Hon. Elena Kagan (2005), Hon. Sandra Day O'Connor (2010), Hon. Pierre N. Leval (2012), George J. Mitchell (2013), Hon. Jose A. Cabranes (2015), Hon. Robert A. Katzmann (2016) and Jeffrey Toobin (2018)

Gina Mitchell, a member of the City Bar’s Criminal Advocacy Committee, interviews Professor Steve Zeidman, a criminal defense attorney and the Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at CUNY School of Law; Attorney Michelle Lewin, the Executive Director of the Parole Preparation Project in New York; and Jose Saldana, director of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, about parole law and reform in New York State.

Host Tim Peterson and Jeremy Merkel, both members of the City Bar’s Information Technology & Cyber Law Committee, discuss the legal implications of the recent upsurge in ransomware attacks, particularly against healthcare providers. 1:38 - Intro to Ransomware 3:06 – Scenario: Paying the Ransom 6:43 - Alternate Scenario: Contacting the FBI 8:45 - Iranian SamSam Attacks 11:02 - Significance of DOJ indictments 11:53 – Factors in Target Selection 12:33 – Vulnerability of Healthcare Providers 13:50 – Role of Bitcoin in Ransomware Attacks 19:30 - Cryptopayments to Terrorists, Acts of War, and Cyberinsurance 23:56 - Cyberforensics and International Legislative Solutions 25:27 – The Allscripts Attack and Other Attacks on Healthcare Providers 29:06 - Effects Under GDPR, HIPPA, and Other Data Privacy Regulations 30:33 - Best Practices for Healthcare Providers 33:49 - Representing Municipal Ransomware Victims 35:29 – Wrap-up

The panel covered key regulatory and legislative changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) under the Trump administration including: new standards and rules, removal of species from protection, reduction of funding for certain initiatives, trophy hunting and import, and ivory trade and import of ivory and rhino horn. They also discussed recent key federal litigation interpreting Endangered Species Act, and touched upon currently proposed legislative, regulatory and statutory changes to the ESA. Speakers: Dr. Susan Lieberman, Vice-President, International Policy, Wildlife Conservation Society Joseph Nelson, Partner, Van Ness Feldman Asher Smith, Litigation Counsel, PETA Foundation Danny Waltz, Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund Moderators: Professor Randall Abate, Rechnitz Family Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy, Monmouth University and Mikki Golar Sponsoring Committee: Animal Law Committee, Christopher Wlach, Chair Cosponsoring Committee: Environmental Law Committ

New York City Bar President Roger Juan Maldonado and New York State Bar President Michael Miller speak with James Ostaszewski, a member of the City Bar's Puerto Rico Task Force who worked on its report in support of exempting Puerto Rico from the Jones Act, a law that restricts shipping and that independent studies say costs the recovering island hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

Host Tim Peterson of the Information Technology and Cyberlaw Committee interviews Dennis Dayman, the Chief Privacy and Security Officer of Return Path, on the evolution of privacy law and technology and what it means for the future of consumer privacy and electronic marketing efforts worldwide.

On February 28, 2019, a panel discussed issues around companion animals and transportation, including the use of service animals on public transportation, pets in ridesharing, and recent incidents in which pets have died during air travel. Moderators: Marissa Hight, Akerman LLP Bari Wolf, Vernon & Ginsburg LLP Speakers: Erin Abrams, General Counsel, Via Kleo King, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Joel Lopez, Vice President, ASPCA Adoption Center Evan Oshan, Oshan & Associates, P.C. Sponsoring Committee: Animal Law Committee, Christopher Wlach, Chair Co-Sponsoring Committee Transportation Committee, Sanford Balick, Chair Disability Law Committee, John W. Egan, Chair

People live longer today than ever before; in fact, Americans over the age of 85 represent one of the fasting growing age groups in the country. This program features three researchers whose findings challenge the accepted views on growing older. Join us as John Leland, Amy Nathan and Paula Span share their findings and provide information on a topic that faces all of us. Speakers: John Leland, Author, “Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old” Amy Nathan, Author, "Making Time for Making Music" Paula Span, Columnist, The New York Times, “The New Old Age" and “Generation Grandparent” Sponsoring Association Committee: Senior Lawyers Committee, Barry M. Bloom, Chair Cosponsoring Committee: Legal Problems of the Aging Committee, Britt Burner, Chair

Meticulous Nazi records of Jews killed in the death camps identify fewer than half of the Holocaust's victims. When, where and how were the other victims killed? Father Patrick Desbois, a French Roman Catholic priest, has sought and found the answer to this question. As a young priest, Father Desbois visited a town in Ukraine where his grandfather, a French Resistance fighter, had been incarcerated by the Nazis. By speaking with village elders, he learned of the process by which the town's Jews had been rounded up, executed and buried in mass graves. His research established that this process had been repeated thousands of times throughout Eastern Europe. Father Desbois discussed his research and the continued effort to uncover genocidal practices around the world, in this Public Affairs Luncheon on February 12, 2019. Speaker: Father Patrick Desbois has devoted his life to the study of the Holocaust and other genocides. He is a founder of Yahad – in Unum (“Together in One”), a global NGO dedicated to discove

On a daily basis, family and criminal courts depend on mandated domestic violence services for resolving cases of intimate partner violence. Thousands of defendants and respondents in our city are required to complete these services in order to have visits with their children or get back in their homes. Yet there is little evidence of the effectiveness of existing services and there continues to be a reliance on outdated services such as Batterers Accountability programs. New York City policymakers have been examining this issue and have developed a Blueprint for Abusive Partner Intervention. A report published in 2018, “Seeding Generations: New Strategies Towards Services for People who Abuse,” took a comprehensive look at this issue and the need for a new model of services. The report acknowledges that services to families also need to consider the trauma that those who harm have been through. This panel on January 17, 2019 served as an opportunity for policymakers to have a dialogue with family court and c

On December 6, 2018, Juan Williams, the political analyst for Fox News, bestselling author, and civil rights expert addressed the Trump administration’s sweeping rollback of the civil rights movement at the City Bar's Public Affairs Luncheon. Donald Trump’s campaign pitch to African Americans was: “What the hell do you have to lose?” According to Juan, the answer is: Quite a lot, as it turns out. He believes that the Trump administration’s policies and intentions pose a threat to civil rights without precedent in modern America. Based on his observations of the current state of politics and race relations with insights from the long, and sometimes forgotten, history of the civil rights movement, as Juan asserts in his new book, knowing our past is essential if we are to understand our present, and shape our future. Speaker: Juan Williams has covered and written about American politics for four decades. He is currently a columnist for The Hill, and was a longtime writer and correspondent for The Washington P

On December 3, 2018, experts discussed the legal issues relating to the First Amendment and freedom of speech. Topics included the scope and limits of First Amendment protection for certain types of speech, whether by news and media outlets, on school campuses, via social media, or as part of public protests. The program covered the current state of the law and recent developments. With an eye toward contributing to the public understanding of this complex area of law, it focused on the legal issues and on identifying and addressing the areas where legal line-drawing either is fairly easy or remains difficult and uncertain. Opening Remarks: Roger Juan Maldonado, President, New York City Bar Association Panel: Alex Abdo, Senior Staff Attorney, Knight First Amendment Institute Floyd Abrams, Senior Counsel, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP Daniel J. Kornstein, Partner, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP Carmelyn P. Malalis, Chair & Commissioner, NYC Commission on Human Rights Nadine Strossen, John Marshall H

The presidential election first scheduled for 2016 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and then for 2017 never took place. The election is now scheduled to take place on December 23, 2018. The Prime Minister has said that President Kabila will not run again, and he will abide by the constitutional limits. The delayed elections spurred anti-Kabila marches and protests, led by laity of the Catholic Church and youth activists. The government has cracked down on this opposition, harassing, arbitrarily arresting, detaining, injuring, and killing protestors. Many still remain in detention despite increasing health problems. The panelists examined the way forward for the DRC and the role opposition leaders, youth activists, the Catholic Church, and duly-elected officials can play in strengthening civil society. Speakers: H.E. Ambassador François Nkuna Balumuene, The Democratic Republic of the Congo Ambassador to the United States--Invited Tatiana Carayannis, Director of the Social Science

Focused on New York City’s schools grades K-8, panelists on November 8, 2018 discussed the history of school segregation and integration efforts; diversity pilots and plans; school admission screens, G&T programs, and their potential for desegregation; accountability, legal constraints, and best practices. Whether you are an education advocate, parent, practitioner, public official, student, or concerned citizen, this exciting and thought-provoking conversation is packed with information you will want to know. Speakers: Matthew Gonzales, Director, School Diversity Project, New York Appleseed Richard D. Kahlenberg, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Brad Lander, Member, New York City Council Emmy Liss, Chief of Staff, Div. of Early Childhood Educ. & Student Enrollment, NYCDOE Dennis D. Parker, Director, Racial Justice Program, ACLU Moderator: Clara Hemphill, Founder and Editor, InsideSchools

Re-legalization of cannabis for general adult use in New York City has never been closer, but how ready is the most populous metropolitan area in the United States - and the country’s largest urban cannabis market for commercial manufacture, delivery, home cultivation and over-the-counter sale of cannabis? On November 1, 2018, the City Bar’s Drugs & the Law Committee held a panel discussion examining the legal and policy changes that will be necessary in order to make a safe and orderly transition from a criminal market to a viable regulated market. Speakers: Axel Bernabe, Assistant Counsel, Governor Cuomo for Health Steven Epstein, Founding Partner, Barket, Epstein, and Kearon LLP Jerome Levy, Partner, Duane Morris Joseph Levey, Founding Partner, Helbraun & Levey Donovan Richards, New York City Council Member Preston Niblack, New York City Deputy Comptroller for Budget Moderator: Kristin Jordan, Chair, Cannabis Practice Group, Newman Ferrara LLP

On October 22, 2018, the City Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Committee held a program on how the evolving treatment of marijuana under the law affects the workplace. Learn how legalization of medical and recreational marijuana affect rights and obligations under the ADA, FLMA, and more. Speakers: George Schwab, Kraus & Zuchlewski LLP Anne Dana, Seyfarth Shaw LLP Jay Jaffe, 1199 SEIU Moderator: Hanan Kolko, Meyer Suozzi English & Klein P.C. Sponsoring Committee: Labor & Employment Committee, Katherine Greenberg, Chair

In 1994, the UN Commission on Human Rights noted the increasing frequency of attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers, and court officials as well as the link which exists between the weakening of safeguards for these officials and human rights violations. In response, the Commission appointed a Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers to investigate and report on these attacks. The current Special Rapporteur, Professor Diego García-Sayán discussed his current role and work with attendees. This work includes his yearly report to the United Nations, examinations into judicial corruption, ideas on current international legal standards, efforts to update those standards so that they remain applicable in the face of new challenges to the legal and judicial professions, as well as both oversight and enforcement mechanisms. Panel: Diego Garcia-Sayan, UN Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges Lawyers William A. Wilson III, Chair of the Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judg

Pet food is a multibillion-dollar industry and has a significant impact on our current food system. Many humans consider themselves to be “pet parents” or “pet guardians” instead of “pet owners” which may have contributed to the growth in this industry. This program reviewed federal, state and local authority to regulate pet food and the relevant statutes. The program also discussed what information is mandatory on pet food labels and whether this information is meaningful to consumers. The program also focused on recent marketing trends in the pet food industry, such as holistic, natural, and organic pet foods, and what these terms even mean in the pet food context. Recent pet food recalls, including the 2007 melamine scandal, and the impact of failures in pet food regulation on human health was also discussed. Panel: Ellen Fried, Adjunct Professor, NYU Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Mary Alestra, Assistant Attorney General, Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau, NYS Attorney General’s Office Mo

Jeh Johnson served as Secretary of Homeland Security from December 2013 to January 2017. Secretary Johnson was responsible for the federal government’s response to many of our nation’s most pressing issues, including immigration; cybersecurity; Russian interference in the election; counterterrorism; natural disasters; nuclear, chemical and biological threats; and the protection of critical infrastructure and the nation’s leadership. At the City Bar's Public Affairs Luncheon on October 9, 2018, Secretary Johnson reflected on his leadership experiences and shed light on the latest headlines.