New York State Bar Association To Develop Plans To Combat Age Discrimination in the Legal Profession
10.27.2025
Frances-Rabias-Napoletano, co-chair of the Task Force on Ageism in the Legal Profession.
A New York State Bar Association task force is recommending removing age-related bias from job applications, training older workers in new technologies, and increasing penalties for employers who discriminate.
The association’s governing body, the House of Delegates, adopted a report from its Task Force on Ageism in the Legal Profession on Saturday. The 50+ and Young Lawyers sections will meet to study the feasibility of the recommendations and to prioritize them.
Immediate Past President Domenick Napoletano convened the task force. Frances Rabias-Napoletano, of counsel at Napoletano Law in New York City, and Sharon Stiller, of counsel at Abrams Fensterman in Rochester, chaired the task force.
Other recommendations include:
Eliminating age bias from artificial intelligence software used to make employment decisions.
Expanding the definition of age discrimination in the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Requiring more age discrimination training in Continuing Legal Education requirements.
Requiring employers to undergo age discrimination training.
Including age-related data in surveys of the legal profession to determine the extent of age discrimination.
Studying the economic benefits of increased labor participation for the financial health of Social Security.