New York S 10367: Clarifies what qualifies as the unlawful practice of law

Bill Text

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S10367 Summary:

BILL NOS10367 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORSEPULVEDA

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§476-a & 496, Judy L; ren §336-b to be §336-c, amd §337, Gen Bus L

&nbsp

Clarifies what qualifies as the unlawful practice of law; makes technical changes as to unlawful advertising in procuring a divorce.

Go to top S10367 Actions:

BILL NOS10367 

&nbsp

05/15/2026REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

Go to topS10367 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS10367 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS10367 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 10367

 IN SENATE

 May 15, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

 AN ACT to amend the judiciary law and the general business law, in
 relation to the unlawful practice of law

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 476-a of the judiciary law, as added by chapter 310
 2 of the laws of 1962, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 709 of the laws
 3 of 1965, the opening paragraph of subdivision 1 and subdivision 2 as
 4 amended by chapter 91 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
 5 follows:
 6 § 476-a. Action for unlawful practice of the law. 1. The attorney-
 7 general may maintain an action upon [his or her] the attorney-general's
 8 own information or upon the complaint of a private person or of a bar
 9 association organized and existing under the laws of this state against
 10 any person, partnership, corporation, or association, and any employee,
 11 agent, director, or officer thereof who commits any act or engages in
 12 any conduct prohibited by law as constituting the unlawful practice of
 13 the law. The term "action" as used in this subdivision shall be
 14 construed to include both civil actions and criminal actions.
 15 2. The term "unlawful practice of the law" as used in this article
 16 shall include, but is not limited to,
 17 (a) any act prohibited by [penal law sections two] section four
 18 hundred [seventy] seventy-eight, [two] four hundred [seventy-a] seven-
 19 ty-nine, [two] four hundred [seventy-e] eighty-three, [two] four hundred
 20 [seventy-one] eighty-four, [two] four hundred [seventy-five]
 21 eighty-nine, [two] four hundred [seventy-five-a] ninety, [two] four
 22 hundred [seventy-six] ninety-one, [two hundred eighty] or [fourteen]
 23 four hundred [fifty-two] ninety-five of this article, or section three
 24 hundred thirty-seven of the general business law, or
 25 (b) any other act forbidden by law to be done by any person not regu-
 26 larly licensed and admitted to practice law in this state, or

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15885-01-6

 S. 10367 2

 1 (c) any act punishable by the supreme court as a criminal contempt of
 2 court under subdivision B of section seven hundred [fifty-B] fifty of
 3 this chapter.
 4 [2.] 3. Such a civil action may also be maintained by a bar associ-
 5 ation organized and existing under the laws of the state of New York,
 6 upon an application to the supreme court of the state of New York, or a
 7 justice thereof, for leave to bring the same by such bar association on
 8 good cause shown therefor and proof that a written request was made upon
 9 the attorney-general to bring such an action and that more than twenty
 10 days have elapsed since the making of such request and [he or she] the
 11 attorney-general has failed or refused to bring such an action.
 12 § 2. Section 496 of the judiciary law, as added by chapter 706 of the
 13 law of 1979, is amended to read as follows:
 14 § 496. Statement to be filed by organizations offering legal services.
 15 An organization described in subdivision seven of section four hundred
 16 ninety-five of this article shall file with the appellate division
 17 department in which its principal office is located a statement describ-
 18 ing the nature and purposes of the organization, the composition of its
 19 governing body, the type of legal services being made available, and the
 20 names and addresses of an