Law new is a broad category of legal work involving the development and implementation of new laws. This work can include the development of legislation, such as bills passed by Congress and published in the United States Code, and rules, including those created by City agencies and published in NYC Rules. It also can include the creation of new forms of legal practice, such as alternative business structures and new models for delivering legal services. The term can also refer to the development of new legal products, such as software programs that streamline or automate legal processes.
The creation of new law often takes place in committees, where lawmakers examine proposed legislation and modify it before it reaches the full legislature for consideration and voting. This system reflects democratic principles of representation and accountability, and allows the public to influence government policy through their elected representatives. The creation of new law may require additional regulations and oversight by federal or state agencies to ensure compliance with the law.
A new law can result from a number of sources, including legislation passed by Congress, regulations promulgated by federal and state agencies, and court decisions. New law may be enacted to provide guidance on complex issues, such as consumer protection, immigration, and the environment. It may also be introduced to address a specific problem, such as the lack of affordable housing, or to respond to particular events, such as a terrorist attack.
Despite the naysayers, new legal innovation is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. This is primarily driven by two principal factors: (1) large-scale legal buyer activism; and (2) the emergence of corporate Goliaths with the brand, capital, know-how, customer-centricity, data mastery, tech platforms, agile, multidisciplinary workforces, and footprint in/familiarity with the legal industry to disrupt established paradigms and produce new law that is more relevant to customers and society.
The Harvard Library catalog, Hollis, contains many resources relating to New York law. To access them, click the New York link on the homepage’s State materials menu. In addition, Lexis and Westlaw both offer New York law content. To learn more about the content available in these resources, read this guide to New York law online. The content in these resources is updated regularly by the editors of the Legal Information Institute. The editors also welcome feedback on this material. The editors can be reached at newlaw@harvard.edu.
