Tammy Lawlor has begun her term as chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section, according to a May 21 announcement. Lawlor said she is ready to welcome both new and returning attorneys to the section.
Lawlor explained that membership has increased under a new model within the Bar Association, leading to more opportunities for involvement. “I’m looking to make it a really successful year,” said Lawlor. “With the new model under the Bar Association, we’ve had an influx of membership… We want to capitalize on that and welcome them in, make them a part of the section, see how they can be involved and what they would like to see.”
She highlighted recent legislative achievements such as passage of the Medical Aid in Dying Act and Electronic Wills Act but noted there is ongoing work for attorneys regarding implementation. “There’s always upcoming legislation that impacts elder law,” said Lawlor. “We just had Medical Aid in Dying pass. We have the Electronic Wills Act that passed. So even though they’ve passed, there’s a lot of implementation and a lot of education that goes along with it. So, we want to make sure that we make that a priority for us – to get out what it is we’re supposed to be doing as attorneys to facilitate the new rules.”
Lawlor also plans on addressing artificial intelligence within legal practice: “There are definitely certain components of each attorney’s job that will now be accomplished with AI, but you need to also make sure that you always review everything, and you always double check,” she said. “You have an obligation to make sure what is being produced, what is being filed, or what is being submitted is absolutely correct – and not just relying on the fact that AI produced it.”
Engagement with sponsors remains another focus area for her leadership this year: “We recently sent out a survey to all the organizations and companies that sponsor us,” said Lawlor. “So that we can get their feedback as to how we can better provide them with what they’re looking for.”
Lawlor serves as partner at Miller and Milone in Garden City where she oversees hospital clients including New York University and New York Presbyterian networks while conducting Article 81 guardianships.
“The New York State Bar Association truly makes your professional career just that much better,” Lawlor said. “Whether it’s the meetings or the camaraderie or being able to have the resources available to you… It really is just such a great organization, and the Elder Law and Special Needs Section is definitely near and dear to my heart.” The association fosters cultural well-being through initiatives promoting equal access to justice among members from all 50 states and over 100 countries worldwide,according to its official website.
