"One of my greatest satisfactions as Mayor was working with the New York City Law Department, both with the three men who I appointed as Corporation Counsel and the men and women of the office whose professionalism and dedication so ably served the City and its people. I am pleased that the work of this office, during my tenure in office and through the City's history, has now been documented and presented in a scholarly, but lively presentation.  Professor William Nelson has captured the essence of the office and illuminates how the  interaction of law and politics has shaped the development of our City. This is a major addition to the literature of New York City history and will be of lasting importance to those who want to know how the City works." Edward I. Koch

On the basis of the themes set out in the Introduction, Fighting for the City traces the history of New York City's Law Department and its predecessor office, the Recorder, from 1686 to the present. In addition to examining the growth of the Law Department into an entity of nearly 700 attorneys, Fighting for the City traces the tension in the office between politics and professionalism. It finds that, when the city has been struggling to enhance its competitive position, professionalism has been in control. In contrast, until the modern era, when New York has enjoyed economic dominance, especially during the nineteenth century, politics and connections have tended to take over.

380 pages  -  1 volume

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