Have Questions? Contact Us.
Since its inception, NYCLA has been at the forefront of most legal debates in the country. We have provided legal education for more than 40 years.
NYCLA Statement on Partial Shutdown
Published On:
Jan 17, 2019
The New York County Lawyers Association Issues Statement
Regarding On-Going Partial Government Shutdown
The New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) Board of Directors voted at its January 14, 2019 meeting to issue the following statement in principle regarding the on-going partial government shutdown:
“As part of its mission, NYCLA seeks to ensure access to justice for all, advocate for a strong and independent judiciary and apply its knowledge and experience in the field of law to promote the public good. The negative consequences of the partial government shutdown are vast, severely limiting the ability of the federal courts to function, affecting not just bench and bar but also court personnel whose hard work each day promotes the administration of justice we hold so dear and litigants who depend on access to the federal courts to resolve disputes lawfully and expeditiously. Thousands of cases before our federal courts have already been delayed due to diminishing resources, creating a crisis for the Courts and the rule of law on which our nation is founded; the situation will soon become more dire as funding for the judiciary is estimated to run out by Friday, January 25th. Furloughed employees not only go without a paycheck during a shutdown; they are prohibited from taking previously approved leave and they can lose the accrual of annual leave. Essential employees are required to work without pay, and are ineligible to take leave during a shutdown—this includes sick time.1 We join with our sister bar associations, including the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar, in calling for a speedy resolution to what is now the longest shutdown in American history, the fallout of which cannot be quantified. The upcoming federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. is a good time for all of us to remember his ever-applicable words: ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’”
About the New York County Lawyers Association
The New York County Lawyers Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender. Since its inception, it has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.
###
Footnotes
1 “Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs”, United States Office of Personnel Management (September 2015),