At 65 years old, James is no stranger to the law. From the roots of her legal career to her bravery, meet the lawyer breaking barriers in NYC and the world.

Letitia James’ political rise

James is one of eight children, according to The New York Times, and was raised in the city that never sleeps. Per Financial Times, her brother was falsely accused of a crime when she was a child, prompting her to become a lawyer.

“When I looked around the courtroom, all the defendants and all of the individuals – the family members – looked like me. But everyone in a position of power did not. There was something really unbalanced and unfair about that,” she said.

The Howard University Law graduate earned her stripes in the political arena working as a legal aid lawyer and assistant state attorney general in Brooklyn, per CNN, where she is originally from. She began practising law in 1989 and is the 67th attorney general elected to date, according to her profile on Worth Magazine. The Guardian reports that she holds several titles in New York, including public defender, council member and public advocate. She is also a Democrat who graduated with a Juris Doctor, per The Hill.

James is 65 years old and unmarried as of three years ago, states the Financial Times.

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Her role as New York attorney general

James was elected in 2018, becoming not only the first woman, but also first woman of colour, to hold the coveted New York attorney general post, according to the office of the New York state attorney general website. In her inaugural speech, she said, “The law is the great equaliser and the biggest pillar of our democracy.”

Per her profile on the AG website, James focused on protecting vulnerable New York residents and holding companies or individuals who broke state laws to account during her first term.

Taking on Donald Trump

The trial lasted for two and a half months. During a four-hour deposition, James was seated opposite Trump, who only answered one question: stating his name. He also read a statement out about how James “openly campaigned on a policy of destroying me”, per the same source.

According to reports on AP, the judge found Trump guilty and ordered the former president to pay over US$355 million plus interest in penalties. Trump has insisted the ruling was “election interference” and has promised to appeal. The ruling has been deemed as a major dent in his future presidential ambitions.

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Challenging Andrew Cuomo

In January, a formal agreement between the state executive chamber and the US justice department stated that Cuomo had created a sexually hostile work environment for at least 13 women, per The Guardian. The investigation began in 2021. James’ office reviewed tens of thousands of documents and interviewed 179 witnesses to corroborate the claims, per CBS News. Cuomo stepped down from his position amid the investigation in 2021 – but there has been speculation he may be making a political comeback, reports Washington Monthly.

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Fighting big companies and upholding public concerns

James has also used her AG position to pursue a number of legal battles against big companies, while trying to ensure the public’s concerns are addressed on a wide number of matters.

One of her biggest fights involved Brazilian multinational company JBS, the biggest meat producer in the world. The company claimed that it would be at net-zero emissions by 2040, per Vox, but the AG office has produced court documents that show JBS has no plans or abilities to reduce its carbon footprint, and sued the company in 2024.

In another case, James’ office sued Citibank for failing to protect its customers from scammers and hackers, with some customers losing their entire savings, per reports on CNN Business.

Recently, concerned parents gathered with James to discuss the impact of social media on their children. Instead of directly banning content on the platforms, James said she would be tackling the algorithm mechanism that targets children with content they did not specifically seek out, per City and State NY.