Cyrus Roberts Vance Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who served as the District Attorney of New York County, New York, commonly referred to as the Manhattan District Attorney. Previously, he was a senior partner at the law firm Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C. He is the son of Cyrus Vance Sr., former U.S. Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter. Vance did not seek re-election in the 2021 District Attorney race, and his successor, Alvin Leonard Bragg, assumed the position. Currently, Vance is a partner at Baker McKenzie. More on manhattanyes.com.
Early Life
Cyrus Roberts Vance Jr. was born on June 14, 1954, in New York City, where he spent his childhood. He is the son of Grace Elsie (Sloane) and Cyrus R. Vance, who served as Secretary of the Army under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Johnson, and Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter.
He attended the Buckley School and Groton School before graduating from Yale University in 1977 with a Bachelor’s degree. In 1982, he earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, he organized campaign trips for Colorado Senator Gary Hart.
Legal Career
After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982, Vance joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. There, he oversaw grand jury investigations and handled cases involving homicides, organized crime, career criminals, political corruption, international art fraud, and official misconduct.
In 1988, Vance moved to Seattle to establish a career independent of his father’s influence. In 1995, he co-founded McNaul Ebel Nawrot Helgren & Vance. Simultaneously, he taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law.
In 2004, Vance returned to New York City and became a director at Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C.
Vance is licensed to practice law in New York, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and New York’s Super Lawyers.
Public Service
Vance served as an expert consultant for the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombudsman during an investigation of child abuse cases in Wenatchee. He also worked as a Special Assistant Attorney General for New York State, representing the state in investigations and litigation. Vance was a member of sentencing commissions in two states, including New York, where he served on the Governor’s Sentencing Commission, which helped revise the state’s Rockefeller drug laws.
Appointed by the Governor of New York, Vance also served on the First Department Judicial Screening Panel, which makes recommendations for judicial appointments. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Council of the New York City Bar Association, the Federal Bar Council, and the New York Council of Defense Lawyers.
Vance is on the boards of the Fund for Modern Courts, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
2009 Manhattan District Attorney Election
In 2008, Vance announced his intention to run for Manhattan District Attorney if incumbent Robert Morgenthau chose to retire. On March 9, 2009, ten days after Morgenthau announced his retirement, Vance officially launched his campaign.
Prominent Democrats supporting Vance included former Mayor David Dinkins, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Gloria Steinem, Caroline Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and the co-founders of the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. Vance also received endorsements from The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, and Amsterdam News.
Vance’s campaign emphasized a “Community-Based Justice” program, which would assign prosecution teams to specific neighborhoods to build relationships with community members, police, and local organizations. He also proposed plans to reduce case backlogs in New York City Criminal Court and advocated for a Conviction Integrity Commission to review claims of wrongful convictions.
Vance defeated former judge Leslie Crocker Snyder and attorney Richard Aborn in the September 15, 2009, Democratic primary, securing the role of Manhattan District Attorney. This victory made him only the fourth person to hold the position since 1941.
Manhattan District Attorney
Vance took office as Manhattan District Attorney on January 1, 2010. Within months, he established or restructured several bureaus and units, aiming to modernize the office. His administration created the Conviction Integrity Program, Crime Strategies Unit, Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau, Forensic/Cold Case Unit, Hate Crimes Unit, Public Integrity Unit, Special Victims Bureau, and Vehicular Crimes Unit.
Personal Life
Vance married typist and photographer Peggy McDonnell in 1984. The couple has two children.
Vance has received numerous awards and honors, including:
- Knight of the National Order of Merit (2023), awarded by the President of France for outstanding contributions and achievements.
- Frank Hogan Award from the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (2021).
- Golden Heart Award from the Joyful Heart Foundation (2017).
- David Dinkins Award for Public Service Leadership (2016).