WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. November 17, 2007: New York's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo drew an SRO crowd to the County Center Thursday evening, and declared he and his staff were the people's lawyer, and urged citizens to call his office to report injustices and situations (at 1-800-771-7755) and that his office would represent them against a health care provider, against an employer,  in situations they needed representation, advocating on their behalf against injustice. He filled the Little Theater at the County Center  where the crowd overflowed into an adjacent live telecast room to see him.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo addressing people who came from miles around to hear him:

 Let Us Be Your Lawyer.

Reminiscent of his father, the former Governor,  Mr. Cuomo rivits attention with a polished and credible delivery, with conviction, passion and a gospel flavor, and a good sense of humor. 

He  introduced his top lawyers handling investigations into Consumer Fraud, Civil Rights/Labor, Student Loans, Health Care and the Environment prior to  Citizens breaking off for forums with those individual top lawyers, whom Cuomo described as steller experts in their field.

Cuomo said his office was going to advise the state on its liabilities and the consequences of facets of the proposed Indian Point nuclear power plant license renewal as one of his key environmental priorities.

In the forums, the lawyers conducting them educated the public about legal matters the Attorney General's Office would look into in the various fields.  This reporter was impressed with the scope of matters in each field the Attorney General's Office would involve itself.

Questions from the audience in the Civil Rights/Labor field this reporter attended were based primarily on personal experiences with descriptions of possible infractions and the lawyers gave their opinions.

In the environmental session I ducked into,  Katherine "Kitt" Kennedy,  the lawyer conducting that session faced a number of questions on toxic site cleanup, city liability for covering up  and the failure of due process. She said that her office could consider alleged violations of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process by lead agencies in a city and said that the Attorney General's Office was interested in those types of alleged wrong doing involving toxic contaminated sites.

John Milgrim, Press Secretary for the Attorney General said 650 persons attended, making the turnout by far the largest of any stop so far on the Attorney General's Community Partnership Initiative. Previously the Attorney General has appeared with his lawyers in Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamtion, and Rochester, where attendance was in the 200s.  Milgrim said these tours would continue and the purpose was to familiarize his attorneys with local issues. As Mr. Cuomo said in his address, to help people you have to know the issues that concern them.

Each lawyer urged citizens to call the Attorney General Office Hotline at 1-800-771-7755 to report matters in which citizens felt needed investigation. The attorneys conducting the sessions stressed they were interested most in a pattern of cases which could apply to similar abuses across the state. When the hotline is called, the caller is directed to a regional office and helped to fill out a Complaint Form. Complaint forms may also be completed by callers on the Attorney General's website at www.oag.state.ny.us.