Letitia “Tish” James, the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York, is no stranger to John Jay, she’s visited often, and positively impacted members of our community. James, the first woman to be elected Attorney General, joined us on March 22 for a conversation with President Karol V. Mason, where she spoke about the power of women, her journey in public service, and her goals for the future.
In celebration of Women's History Month and our event with her—which was sponsored by the Office of External Affairs, the Pre-Law Institute, Department of Public Management, and Theater and Event Support Services—we checked in with faculty and alumni who have met and worked with Attorney General James. Read on for the inspiring experiences members of the John Jay community have had interacting with Attorney General James.
Register for the event: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/AGJames
Daniel L. Feldman
Professor, Department of Public Management
I met Tish when I was a member of the legislature and she was one of our staff members. Over time, I noticed her work ethic and it became clear to me that she was competent, professional, and extremely proficient at her job. I’m not saying that other staff members were not good, but I am saying that she was good enough to get noticed. When she ran for City Council, what impressed me was after she lost the Democratic primary, she won on the Working Families Party line. Now that’s impressive, to win a general election in Brooklyn on something other than the Democratic line. That’s not something an ordinary person can do. You have to have something special. You have to have the kind of grit, perseverance, and fortitude that comes from a passionate commitment to serve others. That opened my eyes to her in a new way. Essentially, Tish has the grit necessary for effective leadership.
“You have to have the kind of grit, perseverance, and fortitude that comes from a passionate commitment to serve others. Essentially, Tish has the grit necessary for effective leadership.” — Daniel Feldman
Frankly, when I first ran for office, I assumed that most people were like me, driven by a commitment to justice, fairness, and public interest. To my sad surprise, I found that a great many people in elected office were there for other reasons. That’s not Tish James, she’s that portion of elected leadership that is there for the right reasons. I’m so glad that Tish is coming to speak to our students, because she can provide the kind of argument, persuasiveness, logic, and passion that can help arm all of us to prepare better for battles involving truth and justice.
former Student Council President Jasmine Awad, and former Student Council Vice President Elza Kochueva
Jasmine Awad ’19
Assistant to Chief Financial Administrative Officer, Student Activities Association, & Children’s Center Business Office, will be attending Columbia University School of Social Work in Fall 2021
“Tish had this wonderful quality of letting us know that she was one of us; she never made me feel as if she was above us. My favorite moment was when I met Tish and she curtsied and called me ‘Madame President,’ since I was Student Council President at the time.” — Jasmine Awad
Recently, my sister Jessica, a Class of 2017 John Jay alumna, and I had a conversation about her upcoming commencement from New York Law School. She had just received the news that New York State Attorney General Letitia James would be her commencement speaker. I reminded Jess of the time I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Tish. She was shocked that I casually called her “Tish.” That was because Tish had this wonderful quality of letting us know that she was one of us; she never made me feel as if she was above us. My favorite moment was when I met Tish and she curtsied and called me “Madame President,” since I was Student Council President at the time. The Vice President of Student Council was also a woman, and I remember Tish saying she couldn’t wait for the U.S. President and Vice President to one day both be women. For all of us, it was exciting to think that milestone was within reach, sooner rather than later—which couldn’t be truer now, especially with Kamala Harris as our Vice President. Maybe one day we will even see Tish in the running for President!
Kavon Lee ’20
Diversity Initiative Fellow at the New York City Office of the Comptroller
“The most memorable moment I had at John Jay was meeting Attorney General Letitia James during the New York State Attorney General Democratic Primary Debate.” —Kavon Lee
At John Jay, I was able to do a lot of great things. I was chosen to assist with John Jay’s My Brother’s Keeper pilot, participated in John Jay’s Trail Blazers, and attended the 2018 SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference. But the most memorable moment I had at John Jay was meeting Attorney General Letitia James during the New York State Attorney General Democratic Primary Debate. I was a student ambassador and had a chance to speak directly with her. She’s someone who really cares about the people. When I saw her at the SOMOS conference, she remembered who I was. She said it brought her joy and filled her with pride to see me growing, learning, and thriving. She’s amazing and I aspire to be like her in my own legal career.
To support informed participation in our democracy, the College provides access to public officials in their official capacity and candidates without regard to political party affiliation or policy views. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of the College. See http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/legal_counsel/pol_activities_memo.pdf
