Steven Banks with Zohran Mamdani
Photo: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani nominated former Paul Weiss pro bono chief Steve Banks to lead the City Law Department, elevating a longtime advocate for liberal issues as Mamdani prepares for potential legal battles with the Trump administration.
Banks left Paul Weiss after the firm’s deal with President Donald Trump pledging $40 million toward Trump-backed pro bono causes. He previously ran The Legal Aid Society and served in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, litigating on behalf of the homeless, tenants, and indigent criminal defendants.
His appointment on Tuesday, along with Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel, comes as Mamdani says if diplomacy ...