New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday that he is appointing Ramzi Kassem as the city’s chief counsel, the top legal position in the city. Mamdani is set to take office on January 1, 2026.
Alongside Kassem, Mamdani also appointed Steven Banks, a self-described “social justice attorney,” as corporation counsel, and Helen Arteaga as deputy mayor for health and human services. While Mamdani has praised both appointments as critical for defending working people and ensuring justice in the city, the backgrounds of the attorneys have raised a few eyebrows.
Who is Ramzi Kaseem?
Kassem has a long career in law and policy. He previously served as a senior policy advisor for immigration on the White House Domestic Policy Council under former President Joe Biden.
Kassem has a history of defending high-profile and controversial clients. Kassem served as the lead lawyer for Ahmed al-Darbi, who in 2014 pleaded guilty before a US military commission to charges linked to an al-Qaeda attack on the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen, according to Fox News. The attack killed one civilian and injured several others. Al-Darbi was convicted in 2017 and later transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.
At the time of al-Darbi’s transfer, The Associated Press and The New York Times reported that Kassem said, “While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed… He had 16 long and painful years in captivity.”
In 2025, according to ACLU press releases and the case Khalil v. Trump, Kassem represented Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel activist and former Columbia University student. Khalil was arrested by ICE for allegedly leading antisemitic campus demonstrations. Khalil has since been released, though his legal case is still ongoing
Announcing the appointment, Mamdani said he chose Kassem for his experience and commitment to defending people who are legally abandoned. “City Hall will be stronger with him in it, and our work of building a more prosperous city for all will have a powerful advocate,” Mamdani said.
Kassem is also the founder of the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) law clinic, which supports Muslim and other communities in New York, often targeted by Federal agencies.
“My sincere hope is that New Yorkers who have long felt on the margins—homeless veterans, patients searching for care, immigrants trying to get by—will feel they now have leaders in their corner who understand their struggles and are ready to fight for them,” he added.
Steven Banks: Corporation counsel
Mamdani appointed Steven Banks, a former aide under Mayor Bill de Blasio, to head the city’s Law Department as corporation counsel. Banks calls himself a “public interest social justice attorney” and has 40 years of legal experience. Banks previously served as homeless services director under de Blasio, where he was involved in designing the city’s controversial “right to shelter” law. He also challenged Mayor Eric Adams’ attempts to roll back parts of the law in 2024.
According to the NY Post, an audit during his de Blasio-era work found financial mismanagement and poor conditions at nonprofit shelters. Despite the criticism, Mamdani praised Banks, saying: “With Steve Banks as our corporation counsel, our City will operate in accordance with the law and use it as a critical tool to fight for working people.”