A law firm’s strategy for the future needs to be focused on how it can offer new kinds of legal help without impacting other areas of practice that might serve as its primary focus. That’s why so many firms are working hard to understand how they can make use of law new as a way to grow and expand.
How Our Laws Are Made
The process of making a new law starts with an idea for a policy change. This might come from a senator’s constituents, an organization calling for a new law, or from a State official or department. This idea will then be drafted as a bill, which is a set of instructions for changing the State’s laws.
Once a bill has been drafted, it will then be reviewed by members of the legislature. They may suggest changes to the bill, or they may support the bill as written. Once a bill has been approved by the legislative body, it will be sent to the Governor for review. The Governor has 10 days to sign a bill passed by both houses of the legislature or to veto it. If the Governor does not sign or veto a bill within this time frame, it becomes law automatically. If the Governor vetoes a bill, two-thirds of both houses of the legislature must vote to override the veto in order for it to become law.
There are a number of new laws that went into effect for the 2024-2025 legislative session, ranging from worker rights to housing and security issues. For example, under a new law, NYCHA residents will be notified in writing when their water is safe to use for cooking and drinking. Additionally, under another new law, landlords are required to provide tenants with a notice before installing any keyless security devices in their apartments.
Another piece of legislation signed by the Governor this year includes new requirements for employers to provide their employees with information about student loan forgiveness programs. In addition, the Governor is taking steps to hold big oil accountable for their pricing practices at the pump. And, under a law signed by the Governor, the California Energy Commission will have more power to penalize refineries that engage in price gouging. The law also establishes a new system for affordable housing in the State.