Attorney General of New York

The attorney general of New York is the state attorney general of the U.S. state of New York and is the head of the New York Department of Law.Executive Law § 60. "There shall continue to be in the state government a department of law. The head of the department of law shall be the attorney-general." The attorney general is also the highest-paid state attorney general in the country.

Letitia James is the current attorney general of New York, in office since January 2019.

 Duties 
The attorney general advises the executive branch of state government and defends actions and proceedings in the state. 

The Department of Law are divided into five major divisions such as, Appeals and Opinions, State Counsel, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice and Social Justice.

List of attorneys general of New York
Province of New York (1684–1776)
ImageAttorney generalTenureNotesTook officeLeft office  Thomas Rudyard 1684 December 1685 Appointed by Gov. Thomas Dongan  James Graham 10 December 1685 1688 Afterwards attorney general of Dominion of New England, 1688. 60pxMember of Dominion of New England, May 1668 – April 1689  Jacob Milborne 1690 1691 Hanged for treason, 1691  Thomas Newton 1691 April 1691 Removed from office by governor  George Farewell 1691 1692 (Acting) Removed from office by governor  James Graham June 1692 21 January 1701 Died 27 January 1701  Sampson Shelton Broughton 5 April 1701 Died February 1705  John Rayner 12 July 1708 Absent in England. Died 1719.  May Bickley 1708 1712 Acting AG in Rayner's absence. Removed from office by governor, 1712  David Jamison 10 June 1712 1721 Acting AG in Rayner's absence, 1712–20 60px James Alexander 1721 1723  Richard Bradley 1723 28 August 1752 60px William Smith the elder August 1752  William Kempe November 1752 19 July 1759  John Tabor Kempe 1759    60px James Duane 1767 Acting AG in Kempe's absence.

New York State (1777–present)
 Image Attorney general Tenure Party Notes60pxEgbert BensonMay 8, 1777 – May 14, 178860pxRichard VarickMay 14, 1788 – September 29, 1789Federalist60pxAaron BurrSeptember 29, 1789 – November 8, 1791Dem.-Rep.Third vice president of the United States60pxMorgan LewisNovember 8, 1791 – December 24, 1792Dem.-Rep.60pxNathaniel LawrenceDecember 24, 1792 – November 13, 1795Dem.-Rep.60pxJosiah Ogden HoffmanNovember 13, 1795 – February 3, 1802Federalist60pxAmbrose SpencerFebruary 3, 1802 – February 3, 1804Dem.-Rep.John WoodworthFebruary 3, 1804 – March 18, 1808Dem.-Rep.Matthias B. HildrethMarch 18, 1808 – February 2, 1810Dem.-Rep.60pxAbraham Van VechtenFebruary 2, 1810 – February 1, 1811FederalistMatthias B. HildrethFebruary 1, 1811 – July 11, 1812Dem.-Rep. Died in office60pxThomas Addis EmmetAugust 12, 1812 – February 13, 1813Dem.-Rep.60pxAbraham Van VechtenFebruary 13, 1813 – February 17, 1815Federalist60pxMartin Van BurenFebruary 17, 1815 – July 8, 1819Dem.-Rep.Eighth president of the United States60pxThomas Jackson OakleyJuly 8, 1819 – February 12, 1821FederalistSamuel A. TalcottFebruary 12, 1821 – January 27, 1829Dem.-Rep.First appointed, in 1823 elected by State Legislature, resigned shortly before the end of his second term60pxGreene C. BronsonJanuary 27, 1829 – January 12, 1836DemocraticElected a justice of the State Supreme Court during his third term60pxSamuel BeardsleyJanuary 12, 1836 – February 4, 1839DemocraticWillis HallFebruary 4, 1839 – February 7, 1842Whig60pxGeorge P. BarkerFebruary 7, 1842 – February 3, 1845Democratic60pxJohn Van BurenFebruary 3, 1845 – January 1, 1848DemocraticLegislated out of office by the Constitution of 184660pxAmbrose L. JordanJanuary 1, 1848 – December 31, 1849WhigFirst attorney general elected by general ballotLevi S. ChatfieldJanuary 1, 1850 – November 23, 1853DemocraticResigned shortly before the end of his second term60pxGardner StowDecember 8, 1853 – December 31, 1853DemocraticAppointed to fill the unexpired term60pxOgden HoffmanJanuary 1, 1854 – December 31, 1855WhigStephen B. CushingJanuary 1, 1856 – December 31, 1857American60pxLyman TremainJanuary 1, 1858 – December 31, 1859Democratic60pxCharles G. MyersJanuary 1, 1860 – December 31, 1861Republican60pxDaniel S. DickinsonJanuary 1, 1862 – December 31, 1863Union60pxJohn CochraneJanuary 1, 1864 – December 31, 1865Union60pxJohn H. MartindaleJanuary 1, 1866 – December 31, 1867Republican60pxMarshall B. ChamplainJanuary 1, 1868 – December 31, 1871DemocraticTwo terms60pxFrancis C. BarlowJanuary 1, 1872 – December 31, 1873Republican60pxDaniel PrattJanuary 1, 1874 – December 31, 1875Democratic60pxCharles S. FairchildJanuary 1, 1876 – December 31, 1877Democratic60pxAugustus Schoonmaker Jr.January 1, 1878 – December 31, 1879Democratic60pxHamilton Ward Sr.January 1, 1880 – December 31, 1881Republican60pxLeslie W. RussellJanuary 1, 1882 – December 31, 1883Republican60pxDenis O'BrienJanuary 1, 1884 – December 31, 1887DemocraticTwo terms60pxCharles F. TaborJanuary 1, 1888 – December 31, 1891DemocraticTwo terms60pxSimon W. RosendaleJanuary 1, 1892 – December 31, 1893Democratic60pxTheodore E. HancockJanuary 1, 1894 – December 31, 1898RepublicanTwo terms (1894–1895; 1896–1898)60pxJohn C. DaviesJanuary 1, 1899 – December 31, 1902RepublicanTwo terms60pxJohn CunneenJanuary 1, 1903 – December 31, 1904Democratic60pxJulius M. MayerJanuary 1, 1905 – December 31, 1906Republican60pxWilliam S. JacksonJanuary 1, 1907 – December 31, 1908Democratic60pxEdward R. O'MalleyJanuary 1, 1909 – December 31, 1910Republican60pxThomas CarmodyJanuary 1, 1911 – September 2, 1914DemocraticResigned shortly before the end of his second term60pxJames A. ParsonsSeptember 2, 1914 – December 31, 1914DemocraticAppointed to fill the unexpired term60pxEgburt E. WoodburyJanuary 1, 1915 – April 19, 1917RepublicanResigned during his second term60pxMerton E. LewisApril 19, 1917 – December 31, 1918RepublicanAs first deputy AG acted until being elected by the State Legislature on April 25 to fill unexpired first half of term, then re-elected in special election (Nov. 1917) for the other half (1918)60pxCharles D. NewtonJanuary 1, 1919 – December 31, 1922RepublicanTwo terms60pxCarl ShermanJanuary 1, 1923 – December 31, 1924DemocraticDefeated for reelection in 192460pxAlbert OttingerJanuary 1, 1925 – December 31, 1928RepublicanTwo terms; unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 192860pxHamilton Ward Jr.January 1, 1929 – December 31, 1930RepublicanSon of Hamilton Ward Sr. (AG from 1880 to 1881)60pxJohn J. Bennett Jr.January 1, 1931 – December 31, 1942DemocraticFive terms60pxNathaniel L. GoldsteinJanuary 1, 1943 – December 31, 1954RepublicanThree terms60pxJacob K. JavitsJanuary 1, 1955 – January 9, 1957RepublicanResigned having been elected U.S. senator60pxLouis J. LefkowitzJanuary 9, 1957 – December 31, 1978RepublicanRe-elected by the State Legislature to fill the unexpired term, then re-elected to five more terms, longest-serving attorney general (8 days short of 22 years)60pxRobert AbramsJanuary 1, 1979 – December 31, 1993DemocraticElected to four terms, resigning a year before the end of his fourth term60pxG. Oliver KoppellJanuary 1, 1994 – December 31, 1994DemocraticElected by the State Legislature to fill unexpired term60pxDennis VaccoJanuary 1, 1995 – December 31, 1998RepublicanDefeated for reelection in 1998. Joined Waste Management, Inc. as vice president for New York government affairs. Became a partner in Buffalo law firm, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman.60pxEliot SpitzerJanuary 1, 1999 – December 31, 2006DemocraticTwo terms, then elected governor60pxAndrew CuomoJanuary 1, 2007 – December 31, 2010DemocraticOne term, then elected governor60pxEric SchneidermanJanuary 1, 2011 – May 8, 2018DemocraticResigned during his second termBarbara D. UnderwoodMay 8, 2018 – December 31, 2018DemocraticServed as acting attorney general from May 8 to May 22, when she was confirmed by the New York State Legislature.60pxLetitia "Tish" JamesJanuary 1, 2019 – presentDemocratic

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