Attorney General of New York

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Attorney General of New York
Seal of the Attorney General of New York.jpg
Seal of the Attorney General
Incumbent
Barbara Underwood
Acting
since May 8, 2018
Department of Law
Style The Honorable
Term length four years
no limit
Constituting instrument New York Constitution, Executive Law
Formation 1626
First holder Egbert Benson
Succession Election by joint session of state legislature
Website www.ag.ny.gov

The Attorney General of New York is the chief legal officer of the State of New York and head of the New York state government's Department of Law.[1] The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.

The position is, until the end of the business day May 8, held by Eric Schneiderman, who was elected on November 2, 2010 and took office on January 1, 2011. He won reelection in 2014 and resigned his position on May 7, 2018, which will take effect at the end of the business day May 8. New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood will serve as the acting Attorney General until the New York State Legislature appoints an interim replacement.[2]

Functions[edit]

The Attorney General advises the executive branch of state government and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the state. The Attorney General acts independently of the Governor of New York. The department's regulations are compiled in title 13 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR).

Organization[edit]

The legal functions of the Department of Law are divided primarily into five major divisions: Appeals and Opinions, State Counsel, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice and Social Justice.

Chief Deputy Attorney General[edit]

  • Harlan Levy,[3] (2011–2015)

Solicitor General[edit]

Terms of office[edit]

  • From 1684 to 1777, when New York was under the British colonial government, the Attorney General was appointed by the British crown, or the colonial governor on its behalf. In 1693, the Attorney General earned a salary of 50 pounds.
  • From 1777 to 1822, the Attorney General was appointed by the Council of Appointment.
  • From 1823 to 1846, the Attorney General was elected by the New York State Legislature for a three-year term..
  • Attorneys General have been elected by the voters since 1847.

List of New York State Attorneys General[edit]

New York State Attorneys General, 1777–present
Attorney General Tenure Party Remarks
Egbert Benson May 8, 1777 – May 14, 1788
Richard Varick May 14, 1788 – September 29, 1789 Federalist
Aaron Burr September 29, 1789 – November 8, 1791 Dem.-Rep. Third Vice President of the United States
Morgan Lewis November 8, 1791 – December 24, 1792 Dem.-Rep.
Nathaniel Lawrence December 24, 1792 – November 13, 1795 Dem.-Rep.
Josiah Ogden Hoffman November 13, 1795 – February 3, 1802 Federalist
Ambrose Spencer February 3, 1802 – February 3, 1804 Dem.-Rep.
John Woodworth February 3, 1804 – March 18, 1808 Dem.-Rep.
Matthias B. Hildreth March 18, 1808 – February 2, 1810 Dem.-Rep.
Abraham Van Vechten February 2, 1810 – February 1, 1811 Federalist
Matthias B. Hildreth February 1, 1811 – July 11, 1812 Dem.-Rep. Died in office
Thomas Addis Emmet August 12, 1812 – February 13, 1813 Dem.-Rep.
Abraham Van Vechten February 13, 1813 – February 17, 1815 Federalist
Martin Van Buren February 17, 1815 – July 8, 1819 Dem.-Rep. Eighth President of the United States
Thomas Jackson Oakley July 8, 1819 – February 12, 1821 Federalist
Samuel A. Talcott February 12, 1821 – January 27, 1829 Dem.-Rep. First appointed, in 1823 elected by State Legislature, resigned shortly before the end of his second term
Greene C. Bronson January 27, 1829 – January 12, 1836 Democrat Elected a justice of the State Supreme Court during his third term
Samuel Beardsley January 12, 1836 – February 4, 1839 Democrat
Willis Hall February 4, 1839 – February 7, 1842 Whig
George P. Barker February 7, 1842 – February 3, 1845 Democrat
John Van Buren February 3, 1845 – January 1, 1848 Democrat Legislated out of office by the Constitution of 1846
Ambrose L. Jordan January 1, 1848 – December 31, 1849 Whig First Attorney General elected by general ballot
Levi S. Chatfield January 1, 1850 – November 23, 1853 Democrat Resigned shortly before the end of his second term
Gardner Stow December 8, 1853 – December 31, 1853 Democrat Appointed to fill the unexpired term
Ogden Hoffman January 1, 1854 – December 31, 1855 Whig
Stephen B. Cushing January 1, 1856 – December 31, 1857 American
Lyman Tremain January 1, 1858 – December 31, 1859 Democrat
Charles G. Myers January 1, 1860 – December 31, 1861 Republican
Daniel S. Dickinson January 1, 1862 – December 31, 1863 Union
John Cochrane January 1, 1864 – December 31, 1865 Union
John H. Martindale January 1, 1866 – December 31, 1867 Republican
Marshall B. Champlain January 1, 1868 – December 31, 1871 Democrat Two terms
Francis C. Barlow January 1, 1872 – December 31, 1873 Republican
Daniel Pratt January 1, 1874 – December 31, 1875 Democrat
Charles S. Fairchild January 1, 1876 – December 31, 1877 Democrat
Augustus Schoonmaker, Jr. January 1, 1878 – December 31, 1879 Democrat
Hamilton Ward, Sr. January 1, 1880 – December 31, 1881 Republican
Leslie W. Russell January 1, 1882 – December 31, 1883 Republican
Denis O'Brien January 1, 1884 – December 31, 1887 Democrat Two terms
Charles F. Tabor January 1, 1888 – December 31, 1891 Democrat Two terms
Simon W. Rosendale January 1, 1892 – December 31, 1893 Democrat
Theodore E. Hancock January 1, 1894 – December 31, 1898 Republican Two terms (1894–1895; 1896–1898)
John C. Davies January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1902 Republican Two terms
John Cunneen January 1, 1903 – December 31, 1904 Democrat
Julius M. Mayer January 1, 1905 – December 31, 1906 Republican
William S. Jackson January 1, 1907 – December 31, 1908 Democrat
Edward R. O'Malley January 1, 1909 – December 31, 1910 Republican
Thomas Carmody January 1, 1911 – September 2, 1914 Democrat Resigned shortly before the end of his second term
James A. Parsons September 2, 1914 – December 31, 1914 Democrat Appointed to fill the unexpired term
Egburt E. Woodbury January 1, 1915 – April 19, 1917 Republican Resigned during his second term
Merton E. Lewis April 19, 1917 – December 31, 1918 Republican As 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)
Charles D. Newton January 1, 1919 – December 31, 1922 Republican Two terms
Carl Sherman January 1, 1923 – December 31, 1924 Democrat Defeated for reelection in 1924
Albert Ottinger January 1, 1925 – December 31, 1928 Republican Two terms; unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1928
Hamilton Ward, Jr. January 1, 1929 – December 31, 1930 Republican Son of Hamilton Ward, Sr. (AG from 1880 to 1881)
John J. Bennett, Jr. January 1, 1931 – December 31, 1942 Democrat Five terms
Nathaniel L. Goldstein January 1, 1943 – December 31, 1954 Republican Three terms
Jacob K. Javits January 1, 1955 – January 9, 1957 Republican Resigned having been elected U.S. Senator
Louis J. Lefkowitz January 9, 1957 – December 31, 1978 Republican Re-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)
Robert Abrams January 1, 1979 – December 31, 1993 Democrat Resigned a year before the end of his fourth term
G. Oliver Koppell January 1, 1994 – December 31, 1994 Democrat Elected by the State Legislature to fill unexpired term
Dennis Vacco January 1, 1995 – December 31, 1998 Republican Defeated 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.
Eliot Spitzer January 1, 1999 – December 31, 2006 Democrat Two terms, then elected Governor
Andrew Cuomo January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2010 Democrat One term, then elected Governor
Eric Schneiderman January 1, 2011 – May 8, 2018 Democrat Resigned on May 7, 2018, took effect the next day.
Barbara D. Underwood May 8, 2018 – Democrat Currently serving as acting Attorney General.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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."
  2. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ag-schneiderman-replaced-solicitor-general-barbara-underwood-article-1.3977532
  3. ^ Schneiderman Fills Six Top Posts, NY Law Journal.com, 23 December 2010, Stashenko, J., Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  4. ^ New York State Unified Court System: Judges of the Trial Courts: Hon. O. Peter Sherwood, NYCourts.gov, Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  5. ^ Jerry Boone Named Harrah's Entertainment Senior Vice President of Human Resources, TheFreeLibrary.com, Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  6. ^ New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Barbara G. Billet, FreedomSpeaks.com, Retrieved 1 November 2013.

External links[edit]

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