NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT 2024 NOTABLE CASES & INITIATIVES
December 20, 2024
Law Department Continues to Deliver on Its Mission to Protect & Advance the Interests of the City & Its Residents
New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant today released a list of notable cases and initiatives undertaken by the New York City Law Department in 2024, demonstrating the office’s continued commitment to protecting and advancing the interests of New Yorkers.
“From day one, our administration has focused on creating a safer, more affordable New York City. In 2024, we continued to deliver on that vision and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to our extraordinary public servants, America’s safest big city got even safer this year, with overall crime down and thousands of illegal guns, mopeds, and ghost cars taken off city streets. We passed historic legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes,’ shattered affordable housing records once again, and put billions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ pockets. We broke records for the most jobs and small businesses in city history and moved millions of trash bags off our sidewalks and into containers. But we know that there is even more we can do to continue to uplift working-class families. As we look to the future, our administration remains committed to keeping New Yorkers safe and making our city more affordable for the millions of New Yorkers who call our city home.”
“I am proud of what the Law Department has accomplished this year to protect the interests of the city and to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “I look forward to working with the dedicated members of the finest law office in the nation to continue this excellent work and on the challenges that lie ahead.”
Law Department highlights from 2024:
Public Safety: The City filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold common sense ghost gun regulations. The amicus brief in Garland v. VanDerStok supported federal regulations issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that require ghost gun parts to have serial numbers and compel background checks for prospective buyers of ghost gun home-assembly kits. The city also continued to file lawsuits against owners of buildings that pose a threat to public safety. A case brought in July against owners of five buildings on Manhattans Upper West Side sought to fix crumbling facades and remove long-neglected sidewalk sheds.
Public Health: The City sued social media companies fueling a nationwide youth mental health crisis. The suit sought to hold TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube accountable for their platforms’ damaging influence on the mental health of children. The city also continued its efforts to protect youth from the dangers of vaping. In April, the City sued 11 wholesalers for their part in the illegal sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes, the most popular vaping devices among middle school and high school youth. Additional legal filings against the companies sought to block them from illegal sales during the litigation. The city filed a separate case in November against a major online distributor for illegally selling disposable flavored e-cigarettes. The City also led a coalition of municipalities in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard access to medication abortion.
Migrant Crisis: The Law Department continued playing a critical role throughout the year helping the city respond to the migrant crisis, including by establishing executive orders and helping broker an historic agreement with the Legal Aid Society.
Housing & Economic Development: The Law Department also advised numerous agencies in connection with economic development and housing initiatives, including on transforming Willets Point into a thriving community; and a plan to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a nation-leading offshore wind port facility.
Strengthening the Law Department: The Law Department continuously works to build its staff through numerous ongoing programs including a novel program to invest in bar retakers.
These key efforts represent a small but significant portion of the work conducted by the Law Department during 2024.
The Law Department is one of the most unique legal offices in the country. The breadth and scope of its work is enormous. Attorneys and support professionals work on legal issues arising from the operations of a city with over a $100 billion budget, and contracts totaling nearly $40 billion (which require Law Department approval under the City Charter).
The office handles questions of administrative law; represents the city in juvenile prosecutions; advises on complex real estate transactions; provides guidance on legislation; defends the city and its employees in tort, contractual, financial, employment and civil rights disputes in both state and federal courts, and so much more.
The interests of the city, and its residents, are always at the forefront when Law Department attorneys are in court defending important municipal initiatives and advising the city on various issues.
###