President-Elect Candidate Statement: Brian Kerr

9.15.2026

By Brian Kerr

We are back and better than ever. The New York State Bar Association is not. The New York State Bar Association has been struggling to stay relevant among drastic alterations in the legal profession and society. Throughout the past several decades, the rates of voluntary bar association membership have declined, while the rates of drug and alcohol issues among lawyers and costs of attending law school have skyrocketed. What is happening to the legal profession, and where is the New York State Bar Association on these important issues and others?

I am submitting this letter once again to declare my candidacy for President-Elect of the New York State Bar Association for the 2027-2028 bar association year. New York and the United States of America are where a 31-year-old first generation lawyer can apply to be President-Elect of a state bar association for two years in a row.

Let us bring in a new era in the legal profession. We can help NYSBA live up to its God-given potential, achieving accomplishments believed to be unattainable previously. We can restore the prestige and respect that the legal profession deserves. We can help all lawyers, including recently admitted lawyers and lawyers with decades of experience. We can overcome the current inertia and move forward into the future. The legal profession and the public deserve better than the current state of affairs.

According to a recent study, 21% of lawyers have alcohol issues. NYSBA fails to have 21% of lawyers admitted in the State of New York as members. With the right leadership, NYSBA could have had 150,000 members for its 150th anniversary. Even with the new membership model, if NYSBA is so amazing, why are there not many more members?

While preaching democracy, NYSBA has no direct election of its leadership like many other bar associations. While preaching diversity, NYSBA has not fairly represented the various backgrounds and experiences of all who participate in the legal profession in New York and recycles the same group of people for its leadership positions.

NYSBA can be better. The possibilities are limitless. If selected as President-Elect of NYSBA, I will conduct and lead a statewide, national, and international listening tour regarding how NYSBA can assist all lawyers, law students, the legal profession, and the public. I will not take any money from NYSBA either. Instead of ignoring issues directly affecting the legal profession such as student debt, NYSBA could be at the center of the conversation. Instead of focusing on issues not directly related to the legal profession, NYSBA could assist the legal profession and the public. This candidacy is not about my future but is about the future of every lawyer, law student, legal professional, NYSBA, the legal profession, and the public as well. I would be honored to have your support in this endeavor.

I can be reached at 307-286-0337 or 914-629-3506 or through email at kerrb1@gmail.com. I look forward to discussing my candidacy with you further. Thanks so much.