Career Timeline of Letitia James: Major Achievements and Milestones

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

Letitia "Tish" James is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the 67th Attorney General of New York since 2019. She is the first African American woman elected to this position. A member of the Democratic Party, she succeeded Barbara Underwood after winning the 2018 election. James is a notable figure in New York politics and law.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1989: Admitted to Practice Law

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

1999: Assistant Attorney General

In 1999, Letitia James was appointed 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, receiving 42% of the vote on the Working Families Party line but losing to James E. Davis.

November 4, 2003: Elected to City Council

On November 4, 2003, Letitia James won the election for the vacant council seat as the Working Families Party nominee, defeating Geoffrey A. Davis.

2004: New York City Council Member

In 2004, Letitia James began her service as a member of the New York City Council, representing the 35th district.

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.

2008: Advocated Against 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 and was re-elected for a second term.

2011: CityTime Payroll System Irregularities

In 2011, Letitia James questioned cost overruns and irregularities in the subcontracting work of the new 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 shutdown of the City Point real estate project.

October 1, 2013: Won Public Advocate Runoff Election

On October 1, 2013, Letitia James won the runoff election against Daniel Squadron to become the Democratic nominee for New York City Public Advocate.

2013: New York City Public Advocate

In 2013, Letitia James became the New York City Public Advocate, marking her as the first African-American woman elected to a citywide office in New York City.

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, including a specific request for BB&T to drop the accounts of SIG Sauer.

2017: Won Democratic Primary for Public Advocate

In 2017, Letitia James won the Democratic primary for her position as Public Advocate, securing 77% of the vote.

May 2018: Declared 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 Attorney General of New York

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

2018: Elected New York Attorney General

In 2018, Letitia James won the election to become the 67th Attorney General of New York, succeeding Barbara Underwood.

2018: End of Term as NYC Public Advocate

In 2018, Letitia James' term as New York City Public Advocate ended.

2018: Statements During 2018 Campaign

In 2018, during her campaign, Letitia James made statements that were later cited in a countersuit filed by the NRA against her.

January 1, 2019: Sworn in as Attorney General

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

September 2019: Suit Against All Faiths Cemetery

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

2019: Began Serving as New York Attorney General

In 2019, Letitia James began serving as the 67th Attorney General of New York.

March 2020: Investigation into Nursing Home Neglect

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

August 2020: 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 and calling for its dissolution.

January 28, 2021: Report on Nursing Home Deaths

On January 28, 2021, Letitia James' office released a report concluding that the New York Department of Health's public data under-counted nursing home deaths by up to 50 percent.

August 3, 2021: Report on Cuomo's Sexual Harassment

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: Intention to Run for Governor

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

December 2021: Suspended Gubernatorial Campaign

In December 2021, Letitia James suspended her campaign for the 2022 New York gubernatorial election, opting to run for reelection as Attorney General instead.

2021: Planned Mayoral Run

In 2021, Letitia James initially planned to run for Mayor of New York City, but later shifted her focus.

November 8, 2022: Re-elected Attorney General

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

2022: 2022 Gubernatorial Election

In 2022, Letitia James initially intended to run for the office of Governor of New York in the Democratic primary but withdrew from the race in December, choosing to seek reelection as Attorney General.

2022: Civil Lawsuit Against Trump Organization

In 2022, Letitia James, as New York Attorney General, initiated a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization and collaborated with the Manhattan district attorney's office in their criminal investigation of the organization.

May 4, 2023: Investigation of NFL

On May 4, 2023, Letitia James and her California counterpart Rob Bonta announced a joint investigation into the National Football League (NFL) over employment practices.

February 2024: NRA Mismanagement Found

In February 2024, a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office under James found that the NRA mismanaged charitable funds by failing to stop top executives, including CEO Wayne LaPierre, from diverting millions of dollars for personal use.

February 16, 2024: Fraud Case Against Donald Trump Successful

On February 16, 2024, the fraud case against Donald Trump, led by Letitia James, resulted in a successful ruling. Judge Arthur Engoron's decision barred Trump from operating any business in New York for three years and imposed a fine exceeding $355 million.