City Council confirms Mamdani’s nominee to head Law Department

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pick to head the city’s Law Department was confirmed by the New York City Council after promising to be a lawyer for the entire city, not just the mayor, at his confirmation hearing last week.

Steven Banks, who served as the city’s “homelessness czar” at the city’s Department of Homeless Services under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, is set to return to City Hall after being confirmed Thursday via a 42-6 City Council vote, with one abstention.

“I look forward to representing the whole city,” Banks said at his confirmation hearing last week. He added that he looked forward to bringing a “unique perspective” to the department as someone who spent 33 years litigating against it while serving as the attorney in chief of the Legal Aid Society.

While Banks’ confirmation was met with praise from a handful of council members who said they “celebrated” him leading the department as they voted yes, Republican Minority Leader David Carr vocally opposed his nomination. Carr said he and Banks had “philosophical differences,” including over the city’s right to shelter policies, of which Banks helped establish as an architect of the landmark McCain v. Koch settlement.

At his confirmation hearing last week, Banks was questioned by roughly a dozen council members who said they didn’t want a repeat of their experience under the Adams administration, where they said they felt like they didn’t have enough confidential legal advice.

Banks promised he’d be accessible to members — and that all advice would be truly confidential — offering to give each his phone number so they could call him whenever necessary.

Banks emphasized he’d aim to work collaboratively with the City Council and mayor to avoid major disagreements between the two, like the kind that arose repeatedly under Adams. If disagreements do arise, Banks said he’d work to reconcile the different points of view in order to “ultimately represent … the proper point of view under the law.”

“I’m not beholden to any institution, any particular elected official,” Banks told the council last week. “My fidelity is to the rule of law and making sure that the best interests of the city of New York are served, regardless of what part of the city is advancing a particular point of view.”

Banks also cited his experience as a leader of Legal Aid Society, working with a big staff on a tight budget, as something that will help him work with Mamdani on his goal of hiring hundreds of attorneys despite budgetary constraints.

“I know how to manage a budget. I know how to look for cost savings, and I know how to make sure that the agencies are running as they should,” Banks said.

“The mayor certainly has said very publicly that he wants to restore staffing at the law department to address the fact that it had been hollowed out,” Banks said. “I look forward to working with the mayor and working frankly with the council to address the staffing needs there, as well as looking at efficiencies [and] at the areas where I think more can be done.”

Banks will take over the post from Muriel Goode-Trufant, who served as corporation counsel since June 2023.