Attorney General LETITIA JAMES

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Personal History

Letitia James, a proud graduate of Fort Hamilton High School, currently serves as the 67th Attorney General of the State of New York. Elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, she made history as the first woman to be elected Attorney General and the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York.

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Educational Foundation

Following her time at Fort Hamilton, Letitia attended CUNY’s Lehman College before earning her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. In 2003, she furthered her expertise in governance by completing a Master’s in Public Administration at Columbia University’s Graduate School of International and Public Affairs.

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Career of Public Service

Letitia’s career has been defined by a commitment to advocacy and legal protection for the public:

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 * Early Career: She began as a public defender for the Legal Aid Society and later served as the first Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Brooklyn Regional Office. In that role, she focused on consumer protection, investigating predatory lending and deceptive business practices.

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 * City Council (2004–2013): Representing the 35th District (including Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, and Bedford Stuyvesant), she passed the Safe Housing Act, which improved living conditions for thousands of New Yorkers by holding landlords accountable.

 

 * Public Advocate (2014–2018): As the first woman of color elected to citywide office in New York City, she served as a watchdog for the city's most vulnerable populations, passing more legislation than all previous Public Advocates combined.

 

* New York State Attorney General (2019–Present): Since assuming office as the state’s chief legal officer, Attorney General James has led landmark initiatives to protect New Yorkers. Her office has:

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•  Secured over $2.5 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors to address the opioid epidemic.

•  Removed more than 4,000 guns from communities and cracked down on illegal trafficking rings.

•  Successfully challenged predatory landlords and defended environmental protection laws.

•  Advocated at the U.S. Supreme Court for the protection of DACA and the integrity of the census.

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Letitia James remains an exemplary graduate of Fort Hamilton High School, demonstrating how a commitment to community and justice can lead to the highest levels of public service.