This article first appeared in Entertainment Law Matters, a Frankfurt Kurnit legal blog.
There's good news for corporate counsel at New York media and entertainment companies who practice without a New York law license. Our friends at MLRC MediaLawDaily are reporting that in-house lawyers practicing in New York without being admitted to the New York Bar now have an opportunity — under recently enacted New York State rules — to put things right with New York authorities without having to take a bar examination and otherwise go through bar admissions hoops. Because of a new set of rules adopted by the New York Court of Appeals in March, and that went into effect on April 20, 2011, in-house lawyers admitted in certain other states are eligible to apply for registration with the local Appellate Division as in-house counsel within 90 days of the April 20, 2011 effective date – that is, by July 19, 2011. Registration requires, among other things, a certificate of good standing in the lawyer's home state, a certification from the disciplinary authorities in that state that no charges are pending against the lawyer, and an affidavit from the lawyer's current employer. In-house counsel who take new positions in New York after that date have 30 days following employment to apply under the new rules. Prior to adoption of these rules, New York did not offer a means by which in-house lawyers licensed outside of New York State could be authorized to provide legal services to their corporate employers inside New York.
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