Career Timeline of Letitia James: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Letitia James built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Letitia Ann James is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the 67th Attorney General of New York since 2019. As a member of the Democratic Party, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African American woman elected to this position, succeeding Barbara Underwood. Prior to this role, she held other political positions in New York. Her work as Attorney General often involves high-profile legal battles and investigations, solidifying her presence in American politics.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1977: First Third-Party Member Since 1977

Letitia James is the first third-party member to be elected to the city council since 1977.

1987: Juris Doctor Degree

In 1987, Letitia James received her Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

1989: Admitted to Practice Law

In 1989, Letitia James was admitted to practice law in New York State.

1999: Assistant Attorney General Appointment

In 1999, Letitia James was appointed as the first Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Brooklyn regional office.

November 2001: First Run for 35th Council District

In November 2001, Letitia James ran for the 35th Council district and received 42% of the vote on the Working Families Party line, but lost to James E. Davis.

November 4, 2003: Election to City Council

On November 4, 2003, Letitia James won the election for the vacant 35th Council district seat as the Working Families Party nominee.

November 8, 2005: Re-elected to City Council

On November 8, 2005, Letitia James was re-elected to the City Council on the Democratic line with 88.11% of the vote.

October 10, 2006: Broken Angel House Fire

On October 10, 2006, a fire occurred at the Broken Angel House in Brooklyn, after which Letitia James represented the owner pro bono in negotiations with the Department of Buildings.

2008: Opposed Bloomberg's Third Term

In 2008, Letitia James, along with Bill de Blasio, advocated against Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempts to seek a third term without a voter referendum.

September 2009: Won Democratic Primary

In September 2009, Letitia James won the Democratic primary against her opponents and went on to win re-election for a second term.

2011: Questioned CityTime Cost Overruns

In 2011, Letitia James questioned cost overruns and irregularities in the subcontracting work of the CityTime payroll system.

May 2013: Lawsuit Against City Point Project

In May 2013, Letitia James was part of an Article 78 lawsuit against the Bloomberg administration and Acadia Realty Trust seeking the shut-down of the City Point real estate project and a reassessment of its environmental impact.

October 1, 2013: Won Public Advocate Runoff Election

On October 1, 2013, Letitia James won the runoff election against Daniel Squadron, becoming the party's nominee for the city's elected watchdog position in November.

June 2016: Pressure on Financial Institutions

In June 2016, Letitia James attempted to pressure six financial institutions into ending their practice of providing financial services to gun manufacturers.

2017: Won Democratic Primary

In 2017, Letitia James won the Democratic primary for her position with 77% of the vote, over closest competitor David Eisenbach's 23%.

May 2018: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

In May 2018, Letitia James declared her candidacy for Attorney General of New York.

September 13, 2018: Won Democratic Primary for Attorney General

On September 13, 2018, Letitia James won the Democratic primary for Attorney General with 40.6% of the vote.

November 6, 2018: Elected New York Attorney General

On November 6, 2018, Letitia James was elected Attorney General of New York, becoming the first woman and African American to hold the position.

January 1, 2019: Sworn in as Attorney General

On January 1, 2019, Letitia James was sworn in as Attorney General of New York.

September 2019: Filed Suit Against All Faiths Cemetery

In September 2019, Letitia James filed suit against the officials of Queens's All Faiths Cemetery, alleging financial misconduct.

March 2020: Investigation of Nursing Home Neglect

In early March 2020, Letitia James's office began investigating allegations of COVID-19-related neglect of residents in nursing homes.

August 2020: Filed Lawsuit Against NRA

In August 2020, Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), accusing the organization of corruption and financial misconduct.

January 28, 2021: Nursing Home Report Released

On January 28, 2021, Letitia James's office released a report on nursing homes and the state Department of Health (DOH), concluding that the department's public data under-counted nursing home deaths by up to 50 percent.

August 3, 2021: Report on Cuomo Released

On August 3, 2021, Letitia James's office released a report finding that Governor Cuomo engaged in multiple acts of sexual harassment.

October 29, 2021: Announced Gubernatorial Run

On October 29, 2021, Letitia James announced her intention to run for the office of Governor of New York in the 2022 Democratic primary.

November 8, 2022: Reelected Attorney General

On November 8, 2022, Letitia James was reelected Attorney General, defeating Republican Michael Henry in the general election.

2022: Civil Lawsuit Against Trump Organization

In 2022, Letitia James, in her role as New York Attorney General, initiated a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization and collaborated with the Manhattan district attorney's office in its criminal investigation. Trump alleged that James held a political vendetta against him, citing her previous comments where she referred to him as an "illegitimate president" during her campaign for attorney general.

May 4, 2023: Investigation of NFL Announced

On May 4, 2023, Letitia James and her California counterpart Rob Bonta announced they would jointly investigate the National Football League over employment practices at its offices in New York City and Los Angeles.

February 2024: Verdict in NRA Lawsuit

In February 2024, a lawsuit brought by Letitia James found that the NRA mismanaged charitable funds, with executives diverting millions of dollars for personal use. Wayne LaPierre was ordered to pay the gun rights group $4.3 million, and Wilson Phillips $2 million, for breaching fiduciary duties from 2014 to 2022.

February 16, 2024: Fraud Case Against Donald Trump

On February 16, 2024, the fraud case against Donald Trump proved successful, resulting in Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling. The 92-page ruling barred Trump from operating any business in New York for three years and fined him more than $355 million.

February 12, 2025: Civil Lawsuit Filed by Department of Justice

On February 12, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice was filing a civil lawsuit against Letitia James, as well as other officials in the state such as Kathy Hochul, over their handling of immigration issues.

February 2025: Revocation of Security Clearance

In February 2025, President Trump announced the revocation of Letitia James's security clearance, along with other officials, stating they were individuals he "didn't respect" and believed had "come very close" to breaking the law. James's office dismissed the action, stating it had no impact on her work.