Letitia James: Biography
Letitia James is an American Democratic politician and attorney who has served as the 67th Attorney General of New York since January 2019. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she rose from public defender to city council member to the city's first Black woman in citywide office as Public Advocate, and then became the first woman and the first Black person elected Attorney General of New York. Known for her high-profile litigation against Donald Trump, the NRA, and opioid manufacturers, she has been a central figure in New York and national politics.
This biography covers her origins, education, career, and rise, with citations to primary or strong secondary sources.
Early life and family
Letitia Ann James was born on October 18, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York, one of eight children born to Robert James and Nellie James 1,2.
Letitia Ann James was born on October 18, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York, one of eight children born to Robert James and Nellie James 1,2. Her mother worked cleaning floors and in customer service; her father was a building superintendent 2,3. Growing up in Park Slope, she came from a family of modest means, an experience she has cited as fueling her determination to fight for vulnerable communities 3. She has never married 4.
Education
James earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lehman College in the Bronx in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., in 1987 4,5.
James earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lehman College in the Bronx in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., in 1987 4,5. Her education at two public institutions grounded her in the communities she would later serve.
Early legal career
James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, then worked on the staff of the New York State Assembly, and later served as a New York State Assistant Attorney General in the Brooklyn regional office, eventually heading that office under Attorney General Eliot Spitzer 1,6.
James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, then worked on the staff of the New York State Assembly, and later served as a New York State Assistant Attorney General in the Brooklyn regional office, eventually heading that office under Attorney General Eliot Spitzer 1,6. This trajectory from public defense to state law enforcement built her legal expertise and her reputation as an advocate for vulnerable New Yorkers.
New York City Council
James served on the New York City Council from 2004 to 2013, representing the 35th District in Brooklyn, including Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant 1.
James served on the New York City Council from 2004 to 2013, representing the 35th District in Brooklyn, including Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant 1. She passed the Safe Housing Act, legislation that forced negligent landlords to improve living conditions in the city's worst buildings, and chaired committees on economic development and sanitation 1,7. Her decade on the Council established her as a dogged advocate for tenants and underserved communities.
New York City Public Advocate
James was elected Public Advocate in 2013, becoming the first African-American woman elected to citywide office in New York City 1,7.
James was elected Public Advocate in 2013, becoming the first African-American woman elected to citywide office in New York City 1,7. During her tenure, her office handled more than 32,000 constituent complaints and passed more legislation than all previous public advocates combined, including a groundbreaking salary-history ban to address the gender wage gap 7,8. She compiled an annual list of the city's worst landlords, pushed for police body cameras, and advocated for special prosecutors in police-misconduct cases 9. Her Public Advocate record transformed the office and set the stage for her statewide run.
Election as Attorney General
After Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned in 2018 amid accusations of abuse, James entered the race, won the Democratic primary with about 41 percent of the vote, and was elected Attorney General in November 2018 1,10.
After Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned in 2018 amid accusations of abuse, James entered the race, won the Democratic primary with about 41 percent of the vote, and was elected Attorney General in November 2018 1,10. She became the first woman and the first Black person elected to the position, and the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York 1,7. She was re-elected in 2022, and her second term runs through January 2027.
As Attorney General
James has built one of the most active state AG offices in the country.
James has built one of the most active state AG offices in the country. Her office has secured more than $9 billion from individuals and corporations, including over $3 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors 7. Her most prominent action was a civil-fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, in which a judge found Trump liable and imposed a penalty exceeding $355 million; an appeals court upheld the fraud finding but voided the penalty as excessive, with both sides appealing further 1,11. She also filed suit against the National Rifle Association, oversaw the investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo's conduct that led to his resignation, and pursued actions against Big Tech companies and neglectful nursing homes 1,9. Her AG record is detailed in the legislative and policy sections of this series.
The 2025 federal indictment
In October 2025, James was federally indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, related to a 2020 property purchase in Virginia 1,12.
In October 2025, James was federally indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, related to a 2020 property purchase in Virginia 1,12. She pleaded not guilty. The case was dismissed on November 24, 2025, after a federal judge ruled the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed; two subsequent grand juries refused to bring charges again 1. Her lawyers described the prosecution as political retribution by the Trump administration 1,12. The episode is detailed in the controversies section of this series, where it is presented neutrally, with her denial and the dismissal noted.
Place in New York politics
Letitia James's biography is that of a Brooklyn-raised daughter of working-class parents who rose through every level of New York public life, from public defender to council member to Public Advocate to Attorney General, breaking racial and gender barriers at each step.
Letitia James's biography is that of a Brooklyn-raised daughter of working-class parents who rose through every level of New York public life, from public defender to council member to Public Advocate to Attorney General, breaking racial and gender barriers at each step. Her tenure as AG, defined by the Trump litigation, opioid settlements, and a federal indictment widely characterized as retaliatory, has made her one of the most consequential and closely watched attorneys general in the country, as explored across the other sections of this series.