History of Letitia James in Timeline

Letitia Ann "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 to hold this position, having been elected in 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she succeeded Barbara Underwood as NYAG.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1919: Birth of Nellie James

In 1919, Nellie James, Letitia James' mother, was born in Martinsville, Virginia.

Others born on this day/year

October 18, 1958: Letitia James Born

On October 18, 1958, Letitia Ann "Tish" James was born.

Others born on this day/year

1977: First third-party member elected

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

1981: Graduated from Lehman College

In 1981, Letitia James received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Lehman College, majoring in liberal arts with an emphasis in social work.

1987: Juris Doctor Degree

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

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, focusing on consumer complaints involving predatory lending and unlawful business practices.

November 2001: First Run for 35th Council District

In November 2001, Letitia James ran for the 35th Council district but lost to James E. Davis.

July 2003: Death of James E. Davis

In July 2003, James E. Davis, who defeated Letitia James in 2001, was assassinated.

November 4, 2003: Elected to City Council

On November 4, 2003, Letitia James was elected to the New York City Council as the Working Families Party nominee.

2004: New York City Council Member

In 2004, Letitia James served 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 New York City Council.

October 10, 2006: Fire at the Broken Angel House

On October 10, 2006, a fire occurred at the Broken Angel House, and Letitia James represented the owner pro bono to keep his home.

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 went on to win re-election for a second term.

2011: Questioned cost overruns and irregularities

In 2011, Letitia James questioned cost overruns and irregularities in the CityTime payroll system, leading to indictments and consultants fleeing the country.

May 2013: Lawsuit against Bloomberg administration

In May 2013, Letitia James was part of a lawsuit against the Bloomberg administration and Acadia Realty Trust regarding the City Point real estate project.

October 1, 2013: Won Public Advocate Runoff Election

On October 1, 2013, Letitia James won the runoff election for New York City Public Advocate.

2013: New York City Public Advocate

In 2013, Letitia James became the New York City Public Advocate, the first African American woman to hold citywide office in New York City.

2013: Master of Public Administration

In 2013, Letitia James earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

2014: Fiduciary duties violation

From 2014 to 2022 Wayne LaPierre violated his fiduciary duties.

June 2016: Pressure on Financial Institutions

In June 2016, Letitia James attempted to pressure financial institutions to end 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.

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 of New York.

November 6, 2018: Elected Attorney General

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

2018: End of term as Public Advocate

In 2018, Letitia James completed her term as the New York City Public Advocate.

2018: Filed lawsuit against NRA

In 2018, Letitia James made statements during her campaign about filing a lawsuit against NRA.

2018: Won election to succeed Barbara Underwood

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

January 1, 2019: Sworn in as Attorney General

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

September 2019: Filed suit against All Faiths Cemetery

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

2019: Became Attorney General of New York

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

March 2020: COVID-19 Nursing Home Investigation

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

August 2020: Lobbying group

In August 2020 The head of the Greater New York Hospital Association said in a New York State Senate hearing that the lobbying group had provided a "draft" of "some ideas to be included" to the governor's office.

August 2020: Filed lawsuit against NRA

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

January 28, 2021: Nursing Home Report Released

On January 28, 2021, the attorney general's office released a report on nursing homes and the state Department of Health, concluding that the department's data under-counted nursing home deaths.

March 18, 2021: FBI Investigation Scope Revealed

On March 18, 2021, it was found that the FBI's investigation scope included a last-minute addition to the state's 2020 budget that provided greater immunity to long-term care organizations.

August 3, 2021: Report on Cuomo's Sexual Harassment 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 stated her intention to run for 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.

2021: Planned Mayoral Run

In 2021, Letitia James initially planned to run for Mayor of New York City.

May 2022: James supports abortion rights

In May 2022, at a rally, Letitia James stated she supported abortion rights, and had received an abortion early in her tenure as a member of the New York City Council. She stated she walked proudly into Planned Parenthood and made no apologies.

November 8, 2022: Re-elected Attorney General

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

2022: Fiduciary duties violation

From 2014 to 2022 Wayne LaPierre violated his fiduciary duties.

2022: Gubernatorial run

In 2022 Letitia James intended to run for Governor of New York in the 2022 Democratic primary but withdrew from the race in December, after consistently polling behind incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul.

2022: Candidacy for Governor

In 2022, Letitia James was briefly a candidate in the New York gubernatorial election.

2022: Civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization

In 2022, as New York Attorney General, Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization.

May 4, 2023: Investigation of the NFL over employment practices

On May 4, 2023, Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a joint investigation into the National Football League's employment practices in New York City and Los Angeles, following reports of harassment and discrimination from former female staffers.

February 2024: NRA Mismanagement Lawsuit

In February 2024, a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office under Letitia James found that the NRA mismanaged charitable funds.

February 16, 2024: Fraud case against Donald Trump successful

On February 16, 2024, the fraud case against Donald Trump was successful with Judge Arthur Engoron barring Trump from operating any business in New York for three years and fining him more than $355 million.

February 12, 2025: Civil lawsuit filed against James over immigration issues

On February 12, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice was filing a civil lawsuit against Letitia James, along with other officials, over their handling of immigration issues.

February 2025: Revocation of security clearance

In February 2025, President Trump revoked Letitia James's security clearance, along with other officials, which James dismissed, saying it had no impact on her work.

April 2025: Referral to DOJ for possible criminal prosecution

In April 2025, Bill Pulte referred Letitia James to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for possible criminal prosecution, alleging she misrepresented facts to gain government assistance and favorable loan terms, which James denied.

May 2025: FBI opens probe into mortgage fraud claims

In May 2025, the FBI opened a formal criminal probe into mortgage fraud claims against Letitia James. Her lawyer stated that she made a mistake on one line that had no significance.

August 2025: Appeals court upholds liability but voids penalty

In August 2025, the appeals court upheld Trump's liability but voided the penalty as excessive, Letitia James plans to appeal.

October 2025: Federal Indictment

In October 2025, Letitia James was federally indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution, to which she pled not guilty.