Law Department - Affirmitave Litigation

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	The Affirmative Litigation Division represents the City as plaintiff. The Division litigates a wide range of issues in federal and state court and before administrative agencies, and advises City agencies on a wide range of topics. Subject areas include commercial disputes; hazardous product claims; civil racketeering and fraud claims; nuisance and restitution claims; antitrust claims; intellectual property claims; and challenges to state and federal government decisions affecting funding for public benefit programs and education.

	What Summer Interns Do? In the Affirmative Litigation Division, summer interns participate in matters reflecting the variety of the division's caseload. Interns can expect to assist attorneys by drafting complaints and dispositive motion papers, researching and summarizing complex legal issues, and attending client meetings, negotiations and oral arguments. Representative projects from past summers include analyzing data and writing brief points for the City's litigation against illegal cigarette trafficking and extensive research into the diverse areas of law including antitrust, tax-exempt status of foreign embassies, desegregation orders and insurance coverage. Interns will come away from the summer with hands-on legal experience and one or more substantive writing samples.

	What New Attorneys Do? New attorneys in the Affirmative Litigation division, working with senior attorneys, handle all aspects of litigation brought in state and federal court on behalf of the City and related entities. This includes investigating facts and developing legal theories; drafting briefs, affidavits, and other papers; arguing motions in court; taking and defending depositions; interviewing and preparing witnesses; and conducting settlement negotiations. New attorneys manage smaller cases themselves, with supervision, while playing a substantial role in larger cases managed by senior attorneys. Cases span a wide range of issues including commercial disputes, fraud, and challenges to state and federal decisions affecting funding for City programs. View the Law Department's Annual Reports for More Information about the Affirmative Litigation Division