History of Letitia James in Timeline
Letitia Ann James is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the Attorney General of New York since 2019. As a member of the Democratic Party, she made history as the first African American woman to be elected to this position. She succeeded Barbara Underwood after winning the 2018 election. Her career is notable for breaking barriers and achieving significant milestones in New York's political landscape.
1919: Nellie James Born
In 1919, Nellie James, Letitia James' mother, was born in Martinsville, Virginia.
October 18, 1958: Letitia James Born
On October 18, 1958, Letitia Ann James was born. She is an American lawyer and politician.
1977: Last Third-Party Member Elected
Since 1977, 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 the City University of New York's Lehman College.
1987: Received Juris Doctor Degree
In 1987, Letitia James received her Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law.
1989: Admitted to Practice Law in NY
In 1989, Letitia James was admitted to practice law in New York State.
1999: Appointed 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 and lost to James E. Davis.
July 2003: James E. Davis Assassination
In July 2003, James E. Davis was assassinated, leading to a special election for his vacant council seat.
November 4, 2003: Elected to City Council
On November 4, 2003, Letitia James won the election for the 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 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. Letitia James represented the owner pro bono.
2008: Advocated Against Bloomberg's Third Term
In 2008, Letitia James 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 CityTime payroll system.
May 2013: Lawsuit Against City Point Project
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 Runoff Election for Public Advocate
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.
2013: Enrolled at Columbia University
In 2013, Letitia James enrolled at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
June 2016: Pressured Financial Institutions on Gun Manufacturing
In June 2016, Letitia James attempted to pressure financial institutions into ending financial services to gun manufacturers.
2017: Won Democratic Primary for Public Advocate
In 2017, Letitia James won the Democratic primary for her position with 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
On November 6, 2018, Letitia James was elected Attorney General, becoming the first woman and African American to be elected as attorney general in New York.
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: Began Investigation into Nursing Home Neglect
In early March 2020, the attorney general's office began to preliminarily investigate 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, accusing it of corruption and financial misconduct.
August 2020: Lobbying Group Provided Draft Ideas
In August 2020, the head of the Greater New York Hospital Association said that the lobbying group had provided a draft of "some ideas to be included" to the governor's office.
January 28, 2021: Released Report on Nursing Home Deaths
On January 28, 2021, Letitia James's office released a report concluding that the Department of Health under-counted nursing home deaths by up to 50 percent.
March 18, 2021: FBI Investigated Immunity to Long-Term Care Organizations
On March 18, 2021, The City found that the FBI's 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 Finding Cuomo Engaged in 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: Announced Candidacy 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.
May 2022: James Reveals Abortion Decision
In May 2022, Letitia James publicly shared that early in her tenure as a New York City Council member, she chose to have an abortion at Planned Parenthood, expressing no regrets.
November 8, 2022: Reelected Attorney General
On November 8, 2022, Letitia James was reelected Attorney General, defeating Republican Michael Henry in the general election.
May 4, 2023: Investigating NFL Employment Practices
On May 4, 2023, Letitia James and her California counterpart Rob Bonta announced they would jointly investigate the National Football League over employment practices.
February 2024: NRA Found Liable for Mismanaging Funds
In February 2024, a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office under James found that the NRA mismanaged charitable funds when it failed to stop top executives from diverting millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures.
February 16, 2024: Fraud Case Against Trump Proved Successful
On February 16, 2024, the fraud case against the former president, Donald Trump, proved successful.
February 12, 2025: Department of Justice Files Civil Lawsuit
On February 12, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Letitia James and other New York state officials, including Kathy Hochul, concerning their management of immigration issues.
February 2025: Trump Revokes Security Clearance
In February 2025, President Trump revoked Letitia James' security clearance, along with other officials, citing lack of respect and suspicion of unlawful behavior. James' office downplayed the action, while observers debated its motivations.
