New York City Law Department

Last updated
Law Department
Department overview
Jurisdiction New York City
Employees1,903 (2020) [1]
Department executive
  • Sylvia Hinds-Radix, Corporation Counsel
Key document
Website www.nyc.gov/law

The New York City Law Department, also known as the Office of the Corporation Counsel, [2] is the department of the government of New York City responsible for most of the city's legal affairs. [3] The department is headed by the Corporation Counsel, currently Sylvia Hinds-Radix, the 81st official to hold this position.

Contents

The Law Department represents the mayor, city agencies, and city officials in all civil litigation, in juvenile delinquency proceedings in Family Court, and in prosecutions in the New York City Criminal Court under the New York City Administrative Code. Among the department's other duties are drafting contracts, leases, municipal bond issues, and other legal documents for the city; reviewing local and state legislation; and providing legal advice to city officials on a wide variety of issues.

The New York City Charter , the New York City Administrative Code , and the Rules of the City of New York are published online by American Legal Publishing Corporation under contract with the Law Department. [4] The department's regulations are compiled in title 46 of the Rules.

History

The origins of the Law Department lie in the English office of the Recorder. After the City fell under British control following the Third Anglo-Dutch War, New York's Governor Thomas Dongan [2] created the Office of Recorder of New York City in 1683 to serve as legal and political counsel to the City Government.

After the American Revolution, New York City continued to grow, and during the 19th century, the City Council began hiring private attorneys to do the internal legal work of the City. When this arrangement proved unsatisfactory, due to the chaos of shifting the city's caseload between various outside counsels, [2] the City Charter was amended in 1849 to create the Office of the Corporation Counsel (so named because New York City is a municipal corporation). The revision established an independently elected chief executive officer known as the Corporation Counsel, and a staff of five, to be known as the Law Department. Later, the Corporation Counsel began being appointed by the Mayor of New York City, as is still the case today. [2]

Among the better-known cases that the department has litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court are Goldberg v. Kelly , Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City , Ward v. Rock Against Racism , Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency , Permanent Mission of India v. City of New York , and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York. The department also prepares amicus curiae briefs in many major court cases.

The following individuals have led the Law Department as Corporation Counsel:

Organizational structure

The Law Department has 16 legal divisions and 5 support divisions. As of 2023, the department employs 850 lawyers and 750 support professionals in 22 offices located in all five boroughs, and an auxiliary office in Kingston, New York. [5] [6]

The legal divisions are:

The support divisions are:

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Fiscal Year 2020 New York City Government Workforce Profile Report". New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services . Retrieved February 13, 2023– via shinyapp.io.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Brief History Of The New York City Law Department Office of the Corporation Counsel" (PDF). New York City Law Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ New York City Charter § 391 ("There shall be a law department the head of which shall be the corporation counsel."); id. § 394 ("[T]he corporation counsel shall be attorney and counsel for the city and every agency thereof and shall have charge and conduct of all the law business of the city and its agencies and in which the city is interested.").
  4. ↑ "Laws of the City of New York". New York City Law Department. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023. The laws and rules of the City of New York are now available on the Web. The Law Department contracted with American Legal Publishing Corporation for a site where you can browse and search the New York City Charter, the New York City Administrative Code, and the Rules of the City of New York.
  5. ↑ "About the Law Department". New York City Law Department. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Office Locations". New York City Law Department. Retrieved April 18, 2022.

Further reading

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