Progressive Spotlight: Letitia James.

Say this about New York Attorney General Letitia James: She’s not afraid to go after the big fish, despite how much perceived power or influence they hold.

That’s been the case throughout James’ political career, which started with her election to the New York City Council in 2003, representing parts of Brooklyn. Where she really found her voice, however, was in her role as New York City public advocate, a unique elected position in which the office holder serves as the city’s watchdog, voice of the people throughout the five boroughs and next in the succession line to the mayor’s office.

Speaking her mind—and serving as a voice for the city’s residents—likely came natural to James, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and began her legal career as a public defender for the Legal Aid Society, which has been defending low-income residents since 1876 and is considered the oldest and largest such organization in the country.

In 2015, two years into her run as public advocate, James summed up her office’s ethos in an interview with The New York Times:

“There’s a slogan I use,” she said. “We legislate. We agitate. We litigate. And sometimes we negotiate.”

That drive to fight—or going after big fish, as we put it up top—extends to Republicans and Democrats alike. And not just any Democrats, but even ostensible close political allies.

As the Times documented in 2015, James sued city agencies on behalf of tenants and children in foster care—agencies under the auspices of then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Ironically, de Blasio, who served as public advocate before his rise to mayor, played a large role in bolstering the office James was using to take on the city government he was running.

If she can take on a fellow Democrat, it’s logical to assume James will challenge anyone who she believes is part and parcel of an unfair system (we’ll get to Donald J. Trump).

Buoyed by her growing name recognition, James won the New York AG race in 2018—making her the first Black woman to hold both citywide and statewide office.

In perhaps her most significant case, James took on the National Rifle Association (NRA) and eventually won. The civil suit came after years of outrage at the NRA following waves of mass shootings. The undisputed face of the gun lobby was Wayne LaPierre, the longtime CEO of the NRA. Along with the lobbying group as a whole, the suit accused LaPierre and other prominent executives of diverting millions from the nonprofit’s charitable mission.

In 2024, after five days of deliberation, a jury in the civil case ruled in favor of the AG office. The jury also found that LaPierre had caused $5.4 million in monetary harm to the NRA. LaPierre resigned his position at the NRA in January 2024, just days before the civil trial was set to commence.

“LaPierre and senior leaders at the NRA blatantly abused their positions and broke the law,” James said after the verdict. “But today, after years of rampant corruption and self-dealing, Wayne LaPierre and the NRA are finally being held accountable.”

And then there’s James’ political and legal battles with Trump, which began with her office’s investigation in 2019 and led to a lawsuit alleging that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud in the state by inflating the value of their properties. The suit and subsequent case had its origins in former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s testimony to Congress, in which he made the allegation of inflated assets. In 2024, the judge in the case ordered Trump and co-defendants to pay a $364 million fine—a penalty that was later voided on appeal as excessive, though Trump’s liability for fraud was upheld.

Upon his return to the Oval Office in January 2025, the Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted several high-profile political rivals, including James and former FBI Director James Comey. The indictments, however, were later thrown out on appeal, and in James’ case, subsequent attempts at grand jury indictments failed.

In recent months, James has emerged as a key ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose meteoric rise has reignited New York’s progressive base. And it was James who introduced Mamdani to the crowd on the night of his shockingly swift Democratic primary victory last summer.

As attorney general, James has effectively reprised her role as public advocate. She’s challenged the federal government, continues to fight for civil rights, and has prioritized consumer protections. And, if the case calls for it, she’s not afraid to go after those seemingly too big to hold accountable.

Image Source

• Anthony Quintano from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Changes were made.