STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5845
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                       May 2, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. BONACIC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
        AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to establishing a  lawyer
          referral service - client privilege
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 498 of the judiciary law is renum-
     2  bered subdivision 3 and a new subdivision 2 is added to read as follows:
     3    2. The communications between a member or authorized agent of an asso-
     4  ciation or society of attorneys or counselors at  law  and  any  person,
     5  persons or entity communicating with such member or authorized agent for
     6  the  purpose  of  seeking  or obtaining a professional referral shall be
     7  deemed to be privileged on the same basis as the privilege  provided  by
     8  law  for  communications between attorney and client. Such privilege may
     9  be waived only by the person, persons or entity who has furnished infor-
    10  mation to the association or society, its members or authorized agents.
    11    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03796-01-7