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Law Department
The Law Department's origins trace to 1683, when New York's colonial governor created the Office of Recorder of New York City to serve as legal counsel to city government; the modern Office of the Corporation Counsel was established when the City Charter was amended in 1849, ending a system of hired outside attorneys. Today it is the country's largest municipal law office, representing the City, the Mayor, the City Council, and City agencies in civil litigation and legislative matters, and acting as the presentment agency in juvenile prosecutions in Family Court.
What's working
- What is the total citywide payout for judgments and claims?: $1,376,184,000 — decreasing from its FY24 peak as major Child Victims Act settlements from prior years were resolved
- What percent of win rate on affirmative motions?: 78% — right at target
- What percent of families entitled to a support order that get a support order?: 72% — beats target by 7%
- and 2 more below
What's getting worse
- How many cases pending in State court are there?: 38,387 cases — misses target by 14,687 cases
- What percent of juveniles successfully referred to a diversion program with no new delinquency referral within one year?: 73% — misses target by 2%
Critical indicators
With a numeric target
How many cases pending in State court are there?
38,387 casesMisses target by 14,687 cases
How many cases pending in State court are there?
38,387 casesMisses target by 14,687 cases
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 26,732 cases | 23,700 cases |
| FY23 | 29,392 cases | 23,700 cases |
| FY24 | 32,873 cases | 23,700 cases |
| FY25 | 36,035 cases | 23,700 cases |
| FY26 (YTD) | 38,387 cases | 23,700 cases |
38,387 cases in FY26 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (14,687 cases above the 23,700 cases target), and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
What percent of win rate on affirmative motions?
78%Right at target
What percent of win rate on affirmative motions?
78%Right at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 85% | 78% |
| FY23 | 79% | 78% |
| FY24 | 70% | 78% |
| FY25 | 76% | 78% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 78% | 78% |
78% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (right at the target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
What percent of juveniles successfully referred to a diversion program with no new delinquency referral within one year?
73%Misses target by 2%
What percent of juveniles successfully referred to a diversion program with no new delinquency referral within one year?
73%Misses target by 2%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 89% | 75% |
| FY23 | 82% | 75% |
| FY24 | 84% | 75% |
| FY25 | 73% | 75% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 75% |
73% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (2% below the 75% target), and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
New York State law treats most alleged offenses by children under a certain age as juvenile delinquency matters handled in Family Court rather than criminal prosecutions in adult court. The City's Law Department serves as the "presentment agency" in these cases — the entity that brings and argues the case against the young person — working alongside the Family Court's broader mandate to weigh rehabilitation and family welfare alongside accountability.
Family Court — NYC Law Department, New York City Law Department — Wikipedia
What percent of families entitled to a support order that get a support order?
72%Beats target by 7%
What percent of families entitled to a support order that get a support order?
72%Beats target by 7%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 62% | 65% |
| FY23 | 83% | 65% |
| FY24 | 74% | 65% |
| FY25 | 72% | 65% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 65% |
72% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (7% above the 65% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
When a custodial parent lives in New York City but the other parent lives out of state (or vice versa), establishing or enforcing a child support order requires navigating the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, a federal framework every state has adopted. The Law Department's Family Court Division handles these interstate and international cases specifically, appearing in NYC Family Courts to establish parentage and obtain, modify, or enforce support orders on behalf of custodial parents.
Family Court — NYC Law Department, Child Support — Family Court Division, nyc.gov
How many cases pending in federal court are there?
707 casesBeats target by 443 cases
How many cases pending in federal court are there?
707 casesBeats target by 443 cases
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 770 cases | 1,150 cases |
| FY23 | 646 cases | 1,150 cases |
| FY24 | 624 cases | 1,150 cases |
| FY25 | 674 cases | 1,150 cases |
| FY26 (YTD) | 707 cases | 1,150 cases |
707 cases in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (443 cases below the 1,150 cases target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Without a numeric target
What is the total citywide payout for judgments and claims?
$1,376,184,000 — decreasing from its FY24 peak as major Child Victims Act settlements from prior years were resolved
What is the total citywide payout for judgments and claims?
$1,376,184,000 — decreasing from its FY24 peak as major Child Victims Act settlements from prior years were resolved
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | $794,702,000 |
| FY23 | $1,208,576,000 |
| FY24 | $1,516,776,000 |
| FY25 | $1,376,184,000 |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
The near-doubling of citywide legal payouts from FY22 to FY24 was driven in significant part by settlements tied to the Child Victims Act, a 2019 state law that opened a window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue over decades-old claims, generating a wave of large settlements (heavily concentrated in cases against the Department of Education). The Law Department's own reporting for FY26 attributes a subsequent drop in payouts partly to the resolution of several of these large, longstanding Child Victims Act cases in the prior fiscal year.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Law Department, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Comptroller, Annual Claims Report Fiscal Year 2023
What is the total cases commenced against the City?
7,510 cases
What is the total cases commenced against the City?
7,510 cases
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above. The dashed marker projects a full-year estimate at the current year-to-date pace.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 8,284 cases |
| FY23 | 8,812 cases |
| FY24 | 10,359 cases |
| FY25 | 10,647 cases |
| FY26 (YTD) | 7,510 cases |
| FY26 (projected) | ~10,013 cases |
7,510 cases in FY26 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.