The New York State Bar Association is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign legislation that would extend attorney-client privilege to lawyer referral services.

The legislation, which passed the Republican-led Senate last week, would make communication between clients and a legal referral service privileged on the same basis as between an attorney and client. Information provided by the client when seeking a legal referral often contains information that could damage the client’s criminal or civil case if it were revealed to adverse parties, according to the bill’s justification.