About
Letitia A. James is the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York and a pioneering figure in American public service. As the first woman and the first woman of color elected to the office, she has devoted her career to protecting communities, advancing justice, and ensuring accountability in government.
Tish James earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in social work from the City University of New York’s Lehman College in 1981. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in 1987 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989. In 2013, she obtained her Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and later served there as the William S. Beinecke Visiting Professor of Public Policy.
Tish began her legal career as a public defender with the Legal Aid Society, representing those without access to private counsel. She later headed the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, where she investigated predatory lending, deceptive business practices, and civil rights violations. Her early work set the tone for a lifelong commitment to fairness and reform.
Letitia A. James remains a transformative leader whose integrity, advocacy, and unwavering pursuit of justice continue to shape New York’s legal and civic landscape. Tish James served for a decade on the New York City Council representing Brooklyn’s 35th District, where she led the passage of the Safe Housing Act and uncovered multimillion-dollar municipal corruption. In 2013, she made history again as the first woman of color elected citywide when she became New York City’s Public Advocate, a role in which she handled tens of thousands of constituent complaints and passed landmark worker-protection laws.
Law Office Affiliations
- Attorney General, Attorney General’s Office, New York
- Former President, National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG)
- Member, New York State Bar Association
Licensed State
- New York
Education
- Howard University School of Law
Juris Doctor (JD) - Lehman College
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Awards & Badges
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