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| New York Attorney General Letitia James | |
|---|---|
| Name | Letitia James |
| Caption | Letitia James in 2021 |
| Birth date | 18 October 1958 |
| Birth place | Brooklyn, New York City |
| Office | Attorney General of New York |
| Term start | January 1, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Barbara Underwood |
| Alma mater | CUNY Graduate School of Public Affairs; Howard University School of Law |
| Party | Democratic Party |
New York Attorney General Letitia James is an American politician and attorney serving as the Attorney General of New York since 2019. Known for high-profile civil and criminal actions, she has led investigations involving major corporations, public officials, and nonprofit organizations. Her career spans roles in New York City Council, New York State Assembly, and the New York State Attorney General's Office.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, James was raised in a working-class family with roots in Carolina Beach, North Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She graduated from City College of New York-affiliated programs and earned a juris doctor from Howard University School of Law, where she studied alongside students active in Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee-era civil rights movements and engaged with legal scholarship influenced by figures like Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall. Early mentors included local Brooklyn community leaders and attorneys connected to Harlem legal aid networks.
James began her legal career in civil rights and consumer advocacy, working with organizations linked to housing and tenant rights in NYCHA communities and municipal legal services. She served as counsel in the New York State Assembly for matters involving state legislation and later won election to the New York City Council, representing a district that overlapped parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 2006 she was elected to the New York State Assembly, where she chaired committees on state oversight and worked with lawmakers from Albany and policy staff experienced with budgets influenced by the New York State Senate and Governor offices. James ran for New York City Public Advocate and won, overseeing oversight functions that interacted with entities such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Education, and New York Police Department.
Elected statewide in 2018 as part of a wave of Democratic victories, James succeeded Barbara Underwood and took office amid national disputes involving federal agencies and litigants like U.S. Department of Justice litigations. Her office expanded civil rights enforcement, workplace protections linked to New York State Department of Labor, and consumer fraud actions against financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo. James coordinated with state attorneys general from jurisdictions including California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania on multistate actions addressing technology firms like Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
James led a civil investigation into the practices of then-President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, producing a report alleging financial misstatements and resulting in litigation that named entities and individuals associated with the organization. Her office sued major cable and telecom firms including Comcast and broadcasters tied to Fox Corporation over consumer protections and advertising practices. She filed actions against pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson and opioid distributors including McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health for alleged roles in the opioid crisis, pursuing settlements and injunctions. James also investigated nonprofit and cultural institutions like the Guggenheim Museum and sports franchises that intersected with labor law matters involving unions such as Service Employees International Union and United Federation of Teachers.
A progressive within the Democratic coalition, James has emphasized enforcement of state civil rights statutes, collaboration with regulators such as the New York State Department of Financial Services, and initiatives addressing predatory lending linked to firms in Wall Street jurisdictions including Wall Street and Lower Manhattan. She has prioritized tenant protections in coordination with elected officials from Bronx and Queens and worked on environmental justice actions invoking statutes influenced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Her office advanced consumer privacy enforcement aligned with multistate efforts toward policies resembling aspects of the California Consumer Privacy Act and engaged with labor advocates from AFL–CIO and National Employment Law Project on wage and hour claims.
James faced scrutiny over internal office management, including inquiries into staff hiring practices and alleged politicization tied to campaign activities, prompting reviews by state ethics bodies and concerns raised by members of the New York State Legislature and local watchdog groups like Common Cause. Her office received criticism from conservative legal organizations such as the Pacific Legal Foundation and litigation support from progressive groups like ACLU affiliates in response to lawsuits she filed. James also navigated recusals and conflict-of-interest questions related to investigations touching associates linked to figures in Albany politics and national networks connected to funders and nonprofit actors.
James is married and has been recognized with awards from civil rights organizations including honors from NAACP chapters and proclamations from the New York City Council and New York State Assembly. She has delivered commencement addresses at institutions such as Howard University and received honorary degrees from universities active in legal education like CUNY and private colleges with public service programs. Her personal affiliations include memberships in civic groups tied to Brooklyn community development and engagement with philanthropic entities connected to urban policy research at think tanks like the Brookings Institution and regional foundations.
Category:Attorneys General of New York Category:African-American women in politics Category:Howard University School of Law alumni