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AM 26 PRLS

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – CLE Program
Learn More and Register: https://nysba.org/am2026-real-property-law-section/

2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Committee on Condominiums and Cooperatives CLE
Learn More and Register: https://nysba.org/am2026-real-property-law-section-committee-on-condominiums-and-cooperatives/

WHO WE ARE
We are knowledgeable and involved attorneys who encourage new members and law students to join the Real Property Law Section (RPLS) to enjoy its benefits and participate in its Committees.

The RPLS’s mission cuts across all aspects of real property law and includes:

  • Commenting on and encouraging appropriate legislation;
  • Working with title insurance companies, brokers, surveyors and other related industry professionals to improve transactional practices;
  • Identifying problems in the real estate industry and working to solve them;
  • Educating the public about the attorney’s role in protecting their interests in real property transactions;

Timely CLE Programing
The RPLS regularly offers high quality CLE programs. Members receive biweekly emails alerting them to CLE events. For detailed information on upcoming CLEs, including program overviews and faculty listings, see the Live Events & On Demand Archives tab of www.nysba.org/realproperty.

Online Community
The RPLS’s highly active online community is a vital resource for practitioners to address practice questions quickly and thoroughly. Our members enjoy one of the most interactive online communities of NYBSA with daily posts by members and multiple responses to most. The RPLS community can also provide access to an attorney with a particular specialty necessary to assist you with a client or matter.

Section Content
RPLS members also receive the Real Property Law Journal (RPLJ) published quarterly each year. The RPLJ has articles on a range of real estate topics including contracts, condominiums, recent decisions, ethics, and much more. There is also a regular column on foreclosures provided by Bruce T. Bergman. Section members are encouraged to submit articles for publication. See the Publications link for more information about the RPLJ as well as an archive of prior articles and contact information for the editors.

Committee Membership
We encourage our members to become involved in our committees and build relationships with new members who always have much to contribute. Currently, we have more than 3,800 members and 30 Committees. Each Committee devotes itself to a specific practice area within the real estate community such as Construction; Real Estate Finance; Condominiums and Cooperatives and Foreclosures, to name but a few. After joining the RPLS, you may join a Committee through your NYSBA Membership profile.

View Guide

 

Contact the Real Property Law Section Liaison

To learn more about this Section, please contact Gina Bartosiewicz
gbartosiewicz@nysba.org
(518) 487-5682

Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.

Susan GoldenSusan E. Golden, Esq.

Venable LLP

Susan Golden is a partner in the Real Estate Group at Venable LLP and has spent most of her career working on civic, cultural and economic development projects for nonprofit and government organizations. She graduated magna cum laude from the George Washington University with a degree in Political Communications, attended New York University School of Law and the Wagner School of Public Service for her law degree and a masters degree in public administration.  Sue handles real estate development, renovations, and other improvements to or investments in real property, as well as leasing, the transfer of development rights and other property acquisitions and conveyances, and mixed-use condominium structures. She counsels on compliance with zoning, landmarks, historic preservation, environmental review, and permitting requirements; public review and government approval of development proposals, including zoning changes, permits, and variances; negotiation of development, design, and construction contracts; and government grants, charitable funding, and donor agreements.  Sue also serves her community as a Town Justice.

Online Community

Access Here

Real Property Law Section Publications

Newly released issues are restricted to Section & Committee Members only for the first 90 days, after which they become available to all members.

Real Property Law Journal 2025 v 53 no 2 _COVER

N.Y. Real Property Law Journal Vol. 53 No. 2 2025

View Latest Issue
NY Real Property Law Journal Archive

The N.Y. Real Property Law Journal features substantive articles relating to the practice of real property law on various topics including property transactions, leases, zoning, disclosure, and cooperatives and condominiums. Also included are a regular column entitled, “Bergman on Mortgage Foreclosures” as well as updates on Section news, programs and events. Co-edited by members of the Publications Committee, with editorial assistance from a St. John’s Law School student editorial board under the leadership of Prof. Robert J. Sein, the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal is published by the Real Property Law Section and distributed to Section Members free of charge.

The Journal is published as a benefit for members of the Real Property Law Section and is copyrighted by the New York State Bar Association.

The N.Y. Real Property Law Journal encourages article submissions on topics of interest to members of the Section. Writing an article for a NYSBA Section publication is a great way to get your name out in the legal community and advertise your knowledge. Our authors are respected state-wide for their legal expertise in such areas as property transactions, leases, zoning, disclosure and cooperatives and condominiums.

Submit an article for future publication
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Article Library

Looking for specific articles from our issues? Explore our library of individual articles, available from current and past editions.

View article library

Author Guidelines

NYSBA has created comprehensive author guidelines, with information regarding our reprint policy, style guidelines, and obtaining MCLE Author Credits.

View the author guidelines

Explanatory Notes Accompanying Revisions to Standard Form Condo Contract

Local Practice Guide for Residential Real Estate Transactions

Even though we all practice law in the same state, many aspects of a residential real estate transaction differ depending on where a property is located. Particularly Upstate, closing customs and practices vary widely from one county to the next. These practices include whether a contract is drafted by a realtor or an attorney, if a realtor-drafted contract is subject to attorney approval or disapproval, the length of the required title search, who orders and pays for title searches and even the type of deed.

An attorney who works on a transaction outside of his/her own home county may be at a disadvantage because local attorneys, title agents and realtors have different expectations about how the transaction will be conducted. Conversely, a local attorney may have difficulty convincing an attorney from outside of the area that “this is how we do things here.” This Local Practice Guide is designed to help bridge this gap. The Guide is organized on a county by county basis and will serve as a reference to the various local real estate customs and practices as well as provide a guide to local mapping and tax reference resources.

This Guide is provided exclusively as a benefit of membership in the NYSBA Real Property Law Section.

View List of Counties

Real Property Law Section Diversity & Inclusion Plan – January 2021
Real Property Law Section New Section Committee Chair Guide
Real Property Law Section District Representative Guide
Real Property Law Section Bylaws – Updated 2018
Resolution of the Real Property Law Section Concerning Real Estate Closings During COVID-19

Legislation

Real Property Law Section Committee

Student Internship Program

The Real Property Law Section (RPLS) has partnered with law schools in New York State to create an RPLS Student Internship Program. The purpose of this clinical program is to give second and third year law students interested in transactional real estate (including environmental and sustainability issues) and real estate litigation a semester of work experience in a law firm or corporate law department.

Learn More

Attorney Professionalism Award

Each year, the Real Property Law Section has honored an outstanding individual real estate practitioner with its Professionalism Award. The Section’s Award Committee presents the award during the Section’s Annual Meeting.

Learn More

Outstanding Community Contributor Award

The Section created the Outstanding Community Contributor Award to recognize members who have made significant contributions to the Community, and to express its appreciation. The award will be presented during the Section’s Annual Meeting.

Learn More

Real Property Law Section Annual Student Writing Competition

The Real Property Law Section sponsors an annual Student Writing Competition, open to all students who are candidates for the JD or LLM degree at an accredited law school in New York State during the year in which the article is submitted.

Learn More

Scholarships

The Real Property Law Section is now accepting applications for its three law student scholarships in the amount of $7,500 each. The scholarships will be awarded in January at the NYSBA Annual Meeting.

Learn More

Leadership Academy

The Real Property Law Section has always prided itself on cultivating excellence—in our practice, in our community, and in our leadership. We are thrilled to announce a major initiative that builds on that legacy: the RPLS Leadership Academy, launching in 2026.

This new program is designed to identify, inspire, and empower the next generation of leaders within our Section and Committees. The Academy will not only teach essential leadership skills but will also create pathways for deeper engagement and long-term involvement in Section activities. New and mid-career attorneys are invited to apply to join the Academy. There is no application fee or registration fee for Academy participants.

Learn More

Legal Links of Interest

GENERAL LEGAL RESOURCES

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

BANKRUPTCY

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM

GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

NEW YORK CITY

NEW YORK STATE

OTHER STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES

LANDLORD AND TENANT (RESIDENTIAL)

LAND USE AND PLANNING

ORGANIZATIONS

SURVEYS

TITLE INSURANCE

TRANSFER TAX FORMS

UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

 

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