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A self-described “social justice attorney” who served as former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s homeless and welfare services boss is in contention to be the city’s top lawyer in Zohran Mamdani’s administration, The Post has learned.
Sources said Mamdani is being encouraged to appoint Steven Banks as corporation counsel leading the city’s Law Department.
Insiders said Banks, who was de Blasio’s commissioner of the Department of Social Services, has emerged as the front-runner, but it’s not a done deal.
“Mamdani being pushed to make him corp counsel,” one source said.
Banks cut his teeth as a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society, where he often clashed with city officials in court to create and expand the Big Apple’s unique and controversial “right to shelter” law.
As commissioner of the DSS, the largest social services agency in the US Banks managed 16,000 staffersr serving more than 3 million residents per year with an annual budget of $12 billion.
But he faced criticism over financial scandals and horrid conditions at key not-for-profit homeless shelters his agency contracted with.
Earlier this year, Banks stepped down as “special counsel” at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
He now lists himself as a “public interest social justice attorney” on his LinkedIn page.
The Mamdani transition declined to comment, as did Banks.
The Law Department represents city agencies, the mayor and other elected officials in litigation, as well as juvenile delinquency proceedings brought in Family Court and code enforcement proceedings brought in Criminal Court.
A Banks hire for the top post would be another example of Mamdani plucking a de Blasio alum to join his administration.
On Monday, the mayor-elect appointed Dean Fuleihan as his first deputy mayor. Fuleihan also served as de Blasio’s budget director and later as first deputy mayor.
Mamdani’s transition team is also stacked with government vets who worked in de Blasio and other mayoral administrations.
