New York City Law Department

The New York City Law Department, the Office of the Corporation Counsel, is responsible for the legal affairs of the City of New York.

Our attorneys represent the City, its elected officials and numerous agencies in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation, and in criminal proceedings brought against juvenile offenders in Family Court and violators of the City’s Administrative Code in Criminal Court. Our attorneys also draft and review local and State legislation, real estate leases, procurement contracts and financial instruments prepared in connection with the sale of municipal bonds. Additionally, they provide legal counsel to City officials on a wide range of issues such as education, immigration, judicial selection reform and environmental policy.

The Law Department’s 17 divisions handle over 90,000 legal matters annually. As such, our attorneys assume far greater responsibility, both in and out of the courtroom, much earlier than their peers in the private sector. The diversity of expertise among our attorneys, along with the scope and complexity of their caseloads, provides a challenging, stimulating legal environment that is second to none.

The Law Department is committed to recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse community of professionals. For example, our Diversity Committee works to enhance the recruitment and retention of attorneys of all backgrounds, while our Women’s Committee focuses on issues of importance to the 60% of our attorneys who are women. Each fall, the Law Department hosts a diversity reception for law students and attorneys to learn about our work and meet our attorneys.