Research

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of correspondence, memoranda, copies of legal documents, and related materials produced by executive staff of the Department of Law while supervising the prosecution of significant legal cases. Legal documents include copies of opinions, petitions, orders, motion notices, and exhibit items from state litigation and appeals. Also present are files pertaining to federal litigation monitored for the attorney general by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG).

The files document the department's investigation and prosecution of cases deemed important enough to warrant involvement of the attorney general's executive office staff. Records include cases supervised by George Zuckerman, R. Scott Greathead, and Harvey J. Golubock, all of whom worked in the Division of State Counsel and were in charge of Litigation Bureau cases. The subset of records relating to federal legislation contains memoranda from attorneys general around the country giving the status of cases and issues relevant to initiatives in other states. Also included in this group are advisements from the U.S. attorney general and reports on federal legislation sent by the Washington counsel of NAAG.

18573-00: This accretion documents a case brought before the Court of Appeals in 1981 by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, challenging the state's generic prescription drug law. The state's case was argued personally by Attorney General Robert Abrams. The accretion also includes earlier legislative hearing transcripts, reports, and other material related to the creation of the law.

18573-07, 18573-08, 18573-10, 18573-10A, 18573-12, 18573-13: These accretions contain case files for litigation handled by executive office staff of the Attorney General's Office, during the tenure of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, as part of their supervision of significant legal cases. Typically included in the case files for accretion 18573-07 are correspondence, memoranda, transcripts, advisory group reports, statements, and other materials pertaining to a case's prosecution.

In addition to handling prisoner lawsuits against the State, the Attorney General's office was active in prosecuting real estate and consumer fraud, CD price fixing, health insurance coverage, Internet fraud, and anti-trust violations in the airline industry. High-profile corporate cases include litigation against Microsoft and Merrill Lynch. The case files in accretion 18573-08 consist exclusively of VHS tapes.

A large portion of the files in accretion 18573-10A document the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) and the National Voters Registration Act (NVRA).

18573-12: These records are originally from accretion 18573-07, covering Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's tenure, and are records determined to have no restrictions for disclosure. Some records are photocopies containing redactions. Records determined to be restricted for these folders remain in 18573-07.