Attorney General of New York

Attorney General of New York
Seal of the Attorney General
Incumbent Barbara Underwood 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 New York State Legislature
Website	www.ag.ny.gov

The Attorney General of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.

Upon the resignation of Eric Schneiderman in May 2018, due to a sex scandal and abuse claims, New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood served as the acting Attorney General until the New York State Legislature appointed her as Attorney General. She will not run for a full term in the November 2018 election.

Functions

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

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

• Harlan Levy (2011–2015)

Solicitor General

• Shirley Adelson Siegel (1979–1982)
• O. Peter Sherwood (1986–1991)
• Jerry Boone (1991–1994)
• Victoria A. Graffeo (1995–1996)
• Barbara Gott Billet (1996–1998)
• Preeta D. Bansal (1999–2001)
• Caitlin Halligan (2001–2007)
• Barbara D. Underwood (2007–present)

Terms of office

• 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

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 during his second term
Barbara D. Underwood	May 8, 2018 – December 31st, 2018	Served as Acting Attorney General from May 8 to May 22, when she was confirmed by the New York State Legislature}}. See also New York Attorney General elections References External links New York Attorney General official website Department of Law in the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations New York Attorney General articles at Legal Newsline Legal Journal New York Attorney General articles at ABA Journal News and Commentary at FindLaw New York Consolidated Laws at Law.Justia.com U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of New York" at FindLaw New York State Bar Association New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman profile at National Association of Attorneys General Press releases at New York Attorney General