New York Paralegal Blog

In a significant legal move, New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Early Warning Services (EWS), the company that operates the popular payment platform Zelle. This lawsuit alleges that EWS, which is owned by major U.S. banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, failed to protect its users from widespread fraud, leading to over $1 billion in stolen funds between 2017 and 2023. 💸 What's the main issue? The lawsuit claims that EWS designed Zelle without crucial safety features, making it a prime target for scammers. According to the Attorney General, EWS knew about these vulnerabilities from the beginning but prioritized speed and ease of use over security to compete with other apps like Venmo and PayPal. This lack of security allowed fraudsters to easily infiltrate the network. Some common scams include: Impersonation: Scammers pretend to be someone you know or a trusted company (like a utility provider) to trick you into sending them mo...

WASHINGTON – In oral arguments today, the New York State Attorney General’s Office -- represented by state Solicitor General Barbara Underwood -- urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the right of states to sue five polluting power companies to force them to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. Leading a coalition on behalf of New York, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the City of New York, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s office argued that the power companies are causing a “public nuisance” by releasing greenhouse gases into the air, and can therefore be held accountable in court. American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut marks Solicitor General Underwood’s 20th argument before the Supreme Court. “This lawsuit seeks to protect our States from climate change that threatens our economy, our health and our natural resources. In the absence of federal action limiting carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel pow...

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today presented his proposed 2011-2012 Executive Budget to hundreds of New Yorkers at Nazareth College in Rochester. The Governor's proposal transforms the state budget process to conform to fiscal realities and eliminates a $10 billion deficit without raising taxes or borrowing. "New York is at a crossroads, and the decisions we make now will impact Rochester, Monroe County, and the entire state for years to come," Governor Cuomo said. "This budget is about changing the way government operates. Whether it is healthcare, education, or other state services, it is about spending resources wisely to get the greatest return on the taxpayers' investment."

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the arrests of 30 former and current New York State employees who allegedly obtained unemployment benefits illegally while on State payroll. The individuals were arrested as part of the Attorney General’s statewide sweep over the past week, targeting abuses of the financially strapped New York State unemployment system. In New York’s current fiscal crisis, the unemployment insurance fund provides much-needed financial relief to thousands of New Yorkers who have lost their jobs. According to complaints filed in New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Nassau, Albany, Dutchess, Rockland and Westchester Counties over the past week, these 30 defendants stole thousands of dollars from New York State by falsely certifying that they were qualified for unemployment insurance benefits through the Department of Labor’s electronic certification process. “New York’s unemployment insurance fund was created to help hard-working individuals w...

(NYSGOV) Governor David A. Paterson today joined New York State’s Medicaid Inspector General (MIG) James G. Sheehan in announcing that New York State has recovered more than double the requirements for recovery of improperly paid Medicaid funds. Under the Federal-State Health Reform Partnership (F-SHRP) – a federal program that sets requirements for Medicaid fraud and abuse recoveries – the federal government set and New York agreed to an ambitious recovery target of $215 million for federal fiscal year 2008. New York State recovered $551 million – more than doubling the Medicaid fund recovery targets set by F-SHRP. This number combines reported collections identified through the fraud and abuse efforts of a number of New York State agencies. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that New York State is leading the way in monitoring and identifying Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse – all while maintaining the integrity of the program for those who truly need services,“ said Governor Paterso...

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that New York State will, beginning in January, regulate part of the credit default swap market which has to date been unregulated and has been a major contributor to the emerging financial crisis on Wall Street. Governor Paterson also called on the federal government to regulate the rest of the massive $62 trillion market. This action is similar to one recently taken by the federal government that tightly restricts “short selling,” or profiting from falling stock prices. The state action applies to credit default swaps which are a means of profiting from falling values of bonds. Under the direction of Governor Paterson, the New York Insurance Department today issued new guidelines that, for the first time, establish that some credit swaps are insurance and therefore subject to state regulation. More...

By: Joel Irving Realizing the value and importance of paralegals in government, community legal services, and the public sector Governor David A. Peterson has proclaimed July 20, 2008 Paralegal Day. Paralegals who work in government maintain reference files, analyze material for internal use and they prepare informational guides on law. Whereas, paralegals who are involved in community legal services help the disadvantaged obtain legal advice and aid. Additionally, paralegals who work in the public sector handle a wide variety of legal task in a multitude of diverse legal specializations. (See,Proclamation)