The legal business world is full of buzzwords. Practice areas are cleverly named, new directors and leaders are regularly appointed, and strategies shift in ways that are framed as innovative or cutting edge. One concept that has emerged recently is the idea of law new, and while it can be hard to pin down exactly what this means, it’s an idea that all lawyers should consider embracing. The idea of law new is about offering clients services that are not available anywhere else and leveraging the skills of the firm to make these services stand out from the crowd.

The law of New York includes constitutional, statutory, regulatory and case laws. Statutory laws are passed by the legislature and codified into New York Consolidated Laws. Regulations are created by City agencies and sometimes adopted as legislation. Court decisions also become part of the law and can change or clarify existing laws.

When a new idea for a law is developed, it needs to be put into bill form so that it can be considered by the legislature. The process of drafting a bill is a long and complicated one that involves the work of many individuals. Often, ideas for bills come from members of the legislative branch, but they can also be submitted by interest groups or attorneys working in government agencies.

If a bill is passed by both houses of the legislature, the Governor has 10 days to sign or veto it. If the Governor signs a bill, it becomes law; if he or she vetoes the bill, it is returned to the legislative branch with a statement explaining why the Governor disapproved of it. The bill may then be voted on again, and if two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature vote to override the Governor’s veto, it will become law.

This bill would require City agencies to disclose data breaches involving personal information of residents or employees, in addition to already required disclosures under State law. The bill would also align City law with new requirements under the State’s SHIELD Act.