Dear NYSALJA Members,
I received a letter from the Unified Court System urging us to become involved in the Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP). The program was initiated by former Chief Judge Jonathan Lipman to Promote pro bono service by attorneys 55 years of age and older. The letter reads, in pertinent part,
As a leader in your community, you know how much of a need there is for pro bono service by those who cannot afford lawyers and by our courts that are currently overwhelmed by the over 1.8 million pro se litigants who have no legal advice or guidance in their civil matters. Senior and retired attorneys, volunteering through the AEP, can have a significant impact on both the lives of low-income people and the court system.
If you have been admitted to practice for 10 years of more, are in good standing, and permitted as an ALJ to do so, you may wish to consider helping those in need by registering as an Attorney Emeritus and committing to perform 60 hours of pro bono work with a 
recognized legal services organization court program over the two-year attorney registration period. Active attorneys who register as an Attorney Emeritus will be able to obtain up to 15 CLE credits for doing pro bono work with approved providers in accordance with the CLE rules. All AEP volunteer attorneys who complete the required 60 hours of pro bono work we receive recognition from the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.
More information on the AEP can be found at www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/volunteers/emeritus. You may also telephone the program administrator, Ms. Wilma Tamayo-Abreu at (212) 636-7671 or email her at wtamayoabreu@fordham.edu.
Eric Zaidins,
President