After his first nominee, Randy Mastro, withdrew his candidacy to succeed Barbadian-born Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix as New York Metropolis’s Company Counsel, embattled New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams has introduced his intention to appoint Muriel Goode-Trufant as the town’s subsequent company counsel.
Adams mentioned Goode-Trufant is a longtime public servant, having spent greater than 30 years within the New York Metropolis Division of Regulation, the place she has served as appearing company counsel since this summer time.
As company counsel, the mayor mentioned Goode-Trufant will lead the New York Metropolis Division of Regulation, which is primarily answerable for offering authorized illustration to the Metropolis of New York — for the Mayor’s Workplace, the Public Advocate’s Workplace, the Comptroller’s Workplace, metropolis companies and the Metropolis Council — in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation.
“I’m excited to announce my intention to appoint of Muriel Goode-Trufant as New York Metropolis’s subsequent company counsel,” mentioned Mayor Adams. “Muriel’s file speaks for itself — a devoted public servant with greater than 30 years of expertise on the Regulation Division, a recipient of the company’s highest honor, and a lawyer who has fought for fairness and justice.
“As our subsequent company counsel, Muriel is ready to serve our complete municipal authorities and use the complete energy of our authorized system to steer our metropolis ahead,” he added.
Goode-Trufant mentioned she is “humbled and honored by the intention to be nominated by Mayor Adams to function the town’s subsequent company counsel.
“Via my greater than three a long time as an legal professional on the New York Metropolis Regulation Division, I’m keenly conscious of the very important position the company counsel performs in New York Metropolis authorities,” she added.
After a lot hypothesis and reviews, Adams nominated nationally acknowledged litigator Mastro to succeed Justice Hinds-Radix as the town’s subsequent company counsel in late July.
However Mastro, a former prime aide to former New York Metropolis Mayor Rudy Giuliani, withdrew his nomination final month amid very contentious Metropolis Council hearings.
Goode-Trufant, a graduate of Temple College College of Regulation and the College of Pennsylvania, may even want the Metropolis Council’s approval to switch Justice Hinds-Radix, who stepped down from her put up on the finish of Might after main the Division of Regulation since January 2022.
Adams mentioned Goode-Trufant started her profession on the New York Metropolis Division of Regulation in 1991 as an legal professional within the Basic Litigation Division, the place she held quite a few roles, together with assistant chief of the division.
She later turned the company’s Equal Employment Alternative officer and Particular Federal Litigation Division chief.
The mayor mentioned Goode-Trufant turned the Regulation Division’s managing legal professional in 2015 and first assistant company counsel in 2023.
Earlier than working for the town, she was an affiliate on the Philadelphia regulation agency Cohen, Shapiro, Polisher, Shiekman, and Cohen.
Goode-Trufant has gained quite a few authorized awards, together with the Regulation Division’s highest honor, the Company Counsel’s Award for Distinguished Authorized Service, in 2011.
Underneath New York Metropolis Constitution, the nominee for company counsel should be confirmed by the Metropolis Council.
When he first nominated Mastro to succeed Justice Hinds-Radix in July, Adams lauded the Barbadian-born jurist for her “a long time of service to New Yorkers, particularly her final two years as company counsel to our metropolis, in addition to Muriel Goode-Trufant for serving as appearing company counsel within the earlier two months.
“Sylvia has performed a pivotal position in furthering this administration’s imaginative and prescient to guard public security, rebuild our financial system, and make our metropolis extra inexpensive and livable,” he mentioned. “We’re grateful for her service to the individuals of New York.”
After leaving her put up as the town’s prime lawyer on Might 31, Justice Hinds-Radix shared with Caribbean Life a farewell electronic mail she had written to staffers.
“For over two years, I’ve had the dignity of serving because the 81st Company Counsel,” mentioned Justice Hinds-Radix. “Main one of many best regulation workplaces within the nation and contributing to the betterment of the town has been the privilege of a lifetime.”
Throughout her Metropolis Council affirmation listening to, she recalled that she had pledged to uphold the workplace’s mission “to guard and defend the pursuits of the Metropolis of New York.”
“Collectively, we now have fulfilled that promise with excellence and integrity,“ she mentioned, stating {that a} foremost precedence throughout her tenure was to strengthen the workplace “to assist us extra successfully perform its mission.”
Justice Hinds-Radix mentioned what that they had achieved in different areas at a time of “nice problem“ was spectacular.”
Throughout her earlier roles as a Supreme Court docket and Appellate Court docket Justice in New York, she mentioned she was all the time impressed by the information and professionalism of the Regulation Division members who appeared earlier than her.
As company counsel, she mentioned she had seen up shut staffers’ “deep experience“ throughout dozens of specialised areas, their steadfast dedication to the rule of regulation, and “unwavering dedication to guard the pursuits of the town and its residents.
“I’ve additionally been deeply moved and inspired by the suggestions obtained by these impressed by the story of a person born on the 166-square-mile island of Barbados, turning into the primary Caribbean-born girl to function company counsel, and the second girl, and the primary girl of coloration, to serve in that place,“ Justice Hinds-Radix mentioned.
“It has been an honor to work with you serving the individuals of this nice metropolis,“ she added.
