Law, Department of
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Mission
The Department of Law is responsible for protecting the legal rights of New York State and its citizens by representing the State in litigation and in other legal affairs.
In implementing its constitutional responsibilities, the Department performs a wide range of functions including prosecuting or defending actions and proceedings for or against the State and its Departments; prosecuting certain criminal violations of the Labor, Workers’ Compensation, and Unemployment Insurance laws; investigating and prosecuting other criminal cases at the request of the Governor or the Commissioners of State departments; investigating the activities of organized crime; bringing civil and/or criminal actions against polluters, violators of antitrust laws, and those who defraud consumers or investors; mediating consumer complaints; and investigating and prosecuting cases of Medicaid fraud.
Organization and Staffing
The legal functions and administrative functions of the Department of Law are divided into eight major divisions: Administration, Appeals and Opinions, Criminal Justice, Investigations, Counsel for the State, Economic Justice, Social Justice, and Regional Offices. Each division consists of smaller bureaus or specialized units dealing with specific issues.
The Department’s main offices are located in Albany and New York City, with regional offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Utica, Watertown, Plattsburgh, Poughkeepsie, White Plains, Harlem, Brooklyn, Mineola, and Hauppauge.
Major Programs
Administration Division
Provides budget, finance, personnel, operations, and technology services for the agency.
Division of Appeals and Opinions
Handles appellate litigation in both State and Federal courts. The Division also prepares opinions, both formal and informal, interpreting State laws for State agencies and municipalities.
Criminal Justice Division
Investigates and prosecutes criminal cases, including those involving Medicaid fraud, auto insurance fraud, white collar and organized crime cases involving multi-county, multi-state and even multi-national criminal activities occurring within New York State.
Investigations Division
Provides investigative support for legal divisions throughout the Department, and works cooperatively with State, local and Federal law enforcement agencies on cases that cross jurisdictional lines.
Counsel for the State Division
Provides State agencies, the Governor, other State officials, and the Legislature with counsel and representation in legal proceedings. It recoups non-tax revenue on behalf of State taxpayers and provides legal assistance to State agencies in connection with the acquisition and disposition of public land.
Division of Economic Justice
Defends and protects the public interest in the courts. It enforces laws to prevent restraint of trade, protects consumers from fraudulent and/or deceptive business practices, regulates the sale of securities, and addresses people’s concerns about criminal online activities.
Division of Social Justice
Defends and protects the public interest in the courts. It ensures compliance with the State’s health care and environmental laws, enforces State labor and workers’ compensation laws, protects charitable donors and beneficiaries, and enforces laws prohibiting discrimination.
Regional Offices Division
Provides satellite offices across the State to ensure that all New York agencies have cost-effective representation in all local, State and Federal courts, and that citizens have full access to the programs and services of the Department.
Budget Highlights
The FY 2026 Executive Budget recommends $487.8 million in All Funds appropriation for the Department of Law. This represents an increase of $109.3 million in All Funds from the previous year primarily for staffing increases/general salary increases, and a new $95.8 million local assistance appropriation associated with the April 2023 Juul Settlement funding to be disbursed to local entities.
The Department of Law has a workforce of 2,172 FTEs, an increase of 202 FTEs over the previous fiscal year.
| Category | Available FY 2025 |
Appropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
Change From FY 2025 |
Reappropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Operations | 370,000,000 | 391,916,000 | 21,916,000 | 39,760,000 |
| Aid To Localities | 0 | 95,838,000 | 95,838,000 | 377,000 |
| Capital Projects | 8,415,000 | 0 | (8,415,000) | 16,468,000 |
| Total | 378,415,000 | 487,754,000 | 109,339,000 | 56,605,000 |
| Program | FY 2025 Estimated FTEs 03/31/25 |
FY 2026 Estimated FTEs 03/31/26 |
FTE Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | |||
| General Fund | 185 | 197 | 12 |
| Appeals and Opinions | |||
| General Fund | 53 | 65 | 12 |
| Cannabis Management | |||
| General Fund | 15 | 32 | 17 |
| Counsel for the State | |||
| General Fund | 377 | 397 | 20 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 114 | 122 | 8 |
| Internal Service Funds | 89 | 99 | 10 |
| Criminal Investigations | |||
| General Fund | 145 | 157 | 12 |
| Economic Justice | |||
| General Fund | 1 | 13 | 12 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 124 | 148 | 24 |
| Social Justice | |||
| General Fund | 97 | 116 | 19 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 86 | 95 | 9 |
| Capital Projects Funds - Other | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Criminal Justice | |||
| General Fund | 156 | 168 | 12 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 52 | 52 | 0 |
| Medicaid Fraud Control | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 201 | 215 | 14 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 83 | 83 | 0 |
| Regional Offices | |||
| General Fund | 189 | 206 | 17 |
| Total | 1,970 | 2,172 | 202 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 168,195,000 | 179,676,000 | 11,481,000 |
| Internal Service Funds | 20,037,000 | 21,388,000 | 1,351,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 51,750,000 | 52,877,000 | 1,127,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 130,018,000 | 137,975,000 | 7,957,000 |
| Total | 370,000,000 | 391,916,000 | 21,916,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | |||
| General Fund | 23,580,000 | 24,494,000 | 914,000 |
| Appeals and Opinions | |||
| General Fund | 11,691,000 | 11,786,000 | 95,000 |
| Cannabis Management | |||
| General Fund | 2,760,000 | 2,817,000 | 57,000 |
| Counsel for the State | |||
| General Fund | 47,459,000 | 53,188,000 | 5,729,000 |
| Internal Service Funds | 20,037,000 | 21,388,000 | 1,351,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 30,642,000 | 34,209,000 | 3,567,000 |
| Criminal Investigations | |||
| General Fund | 16,898,000 | 18,891,000 | 1,993,000 |
| Criminal Justice | |||
| General Fund | 20,351,000 | 20,752,000 | 401,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 2,557,000 | 2,957,000 | 400,000 |
| DEED THEFT INTERVENTION PROGRAM | |||
| General Fund | 2,000,000 | 2,154,000 | 154,000 |
| Economic Justice | |||
| General Fund | 185,000 | 185,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 43,003,000 | 46,730,000 | 3,727,000 |
| Medicaid Fraud Control | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 51,750,000 | 52,877,000 | 1,127,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 17,250,000 | 17,626,000 | 376,000 |
| Regional Offices | |||
| General Fund | 28,568,000 | 28,516,000 | (52,000) |
| Social Justice | |||
| General Fund | 14,703,000 | 16,893,000 | 2,190,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 36,566,000 | 36,453,000 | (113,000) |
| Total | 370,000,000 | 391,916,000 | 21,916,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 19,350,000 | 914,000 | 19,176,000 | 914,000 |
| Appeals and Opinions | 10,672,000 | 95,000 | 10,637,000 | 89,000 |
| Cannabis Management | 2,202,000 | 2,000 | 2,200,000 | 0 |
| Counsel for the State | 50,014,000 | 6,029,000 | 49,098,000 | 6,029,000 |
| Criminal Investigations | 17,412,000 | 1,480,000 | 16,406,000 | 1,474,000 |
| Criminal Justice | 17,619,000 | 398,000 | 17,322,000 | 341,000 |
| DEED THEFT INTERVENTION PROGRAM | 1,154,000 | 154,000 | 1,154,000 | 154,000 |
| Economic Justice | 185,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Regional Offices | 23,912,000 | (82,000) | 23,809,000 | (82,000) |
| Social Justice | 12,918,000 | 2,215,000 | 12,756,000 | 2,215,000 |
| Total | 155,438,000 | 11,205,000 | 152,558,000 | 11,134,000 |
| Program | Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried) |
Holiday/Overtime Pay | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 146,000 | 0 | 28,000 | 0 |
| Appeals and Opinions | 27,000 | 0 | 8,000 | 6,000 |
| Cannabis Management | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Counsel for the State | 881,000 | 0 | 35,000 | 0 |
| Criminal Investigations | 0 | 0 | 1,006,000 | 6,000 |
| Criminal Justice | 44,000 | 44,000 | 253,000 | 13,000 |
| Economic Justice | 185,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Regional Offices | 100,000 | 0 | 3,000 | 0 |
| Social Justice | 130,000 | 0 | 32,000 | 0 |
| Total | 1,513,000 | 44,000 | 1,367,000 | 27,000 |
| Program | Total | Supplies and Materials | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 5,144,000 | 0 | 1,000,000 | 0 |
| Appeals and Opinions | 1,114,000 | 0 | 450,000 | 0 |
| Cannabis Management | 615,000 | 55,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Counsel for the State | 3,174,000 | (300,000) | 3,000 | 0 |
| Criminal Investigations | 1,479,000 | 513,000 | 27,000 | 0 |
| Criminal Justice | 3,133,000 | 3,000 | 108,000 | 0 |
| DEED THEFT INTERVENTION PROGRAM | 1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Regional Offices | 4,604,000 | 30,000 | 142,000 | 0 |
| Social Justice | 3,975,000 | (25,000) | 91,000 | 0 |
| Total | 24,238,000 | 276,000 | 1,846,000 | 25,000 |
| Program | Travel | Contractual Services | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 107,000 | 0 | 2,794,000 | 0 |
| Appeals and Opinions | 20,000 | 0 | 644,000 | 0 |
| Cannabis Management | 30,000 | 30,000 | 560,000 | 0 |
| Counsel for the State | 60,000 | 0 | 3,111,000 | (300,000) |
| Criminal Investigations | 267,000 | 113,000 | 285,000 | 0 |
| Criminal Justice | 140,000 | 3,000 | 2,407,000 | 0 |
| DEED THEFT INTERVENTION PROGRAM | 0 | 0 | 1,000,000 | 0 |
| Regional Offices | 130,000 | 30,000 | 4,332,000 | 0 |
| Social Justice | 75,000 | (25,000) | 3,687,000 | 0 |
| Total | 829,000 | 151,000 | 18,820,000 | (300,000) |
| Program | Equipment | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 1,243,000 | 0 |
| Criminal Investigations | 900,000 | 400,000 |
| Criminal Justice | 478,000 | 0 |
| Social Justice | 122,000 | 0 |
| Total | 2,743,000 | 400,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Counsel for the State | 55,597,000 | 4,918,000 | 14,911,000 | 2,959,000 |
| Criminal Justice | 2,957,000 | 400,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Economic Justice | 46,730,000 | 3,727,000 | 21,933,000 | 2,390,000 |
| Medicaid Fraud Control | 70,503,000 | 1,503,000 | 33,964,000 | 1,934,000 |
| Social Justice | 36,453,000 | (113,000) | 16,883,000 | 343,000 |
| Total | 212,240,000 | 10,435,000 | 87,691,000 | 7,626,000 |
| Program | Nonpersonal Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Counsel for the State | 40,686,000 | 1,959,000 |
| Criminal Justice | 2,957,000 | 400,000 |
| Economic Justice | 24,797,000 | 1,337,000 |
| Medicaid Fraud Control | 36,539,000 | (431,000) |
| Social Justice | 19,570,000 | (456,000) |
| Total | 124,549,000 | 2,809,000 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 0 | 95,838,000 | 95,838,000 |
| Total | 0 | 95,838,000 | 95,838,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Justice | |||
| General Fund | 0 | 95,838,000 | 95,838,000 |
| Total | 0 | 95,838,000 | 95,838,000 |
| Comprehensive Construction Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change | Reappropriations FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT Initiative Program | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund - Authority Bonds | 8,415,000 | 0 | (8,415,000) | 16,468,000 |
| Total | 8,415,000 | 0 | (8,415,000) | 16,468,000 |
Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/21/2025