New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving to reshape the city's judiciary, and his latest appointment is raising fresh questions about whether the selection process will become even more politicized under the city's new progressive leadership.
In a press release issued Friday, Mamdani announced the appointment of civil rights and election attorney Ali Najmi as chair of the newly revitalized Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.
The mayor also signed an executive order aimed at making judicial selection "more transparent and accessible" to New Yorkers.
"While the judicial branch plays a crucial role in our democracy, it is often inaccessible and shrouded in secrecy," Mamdani said.
He pledged that his administration will ensure the system "reflects the city it serves," applies the rule of law "universally," and does so "without favor."
Mamdani called Najmi the best person to lead the effort, praising his "determination and commitment."
Najmi, in the same release, said he is honored and promised to make the process more "transparent and inclusive" so that all 8.5 million New Yorkers can "see themselves reflected on the bench."
Under the executive order, the committee will be directed to expand outreach in the legal community, including public defenders and attorneys working in indigent legal services — and to regularly publish demographic data on the applicant pool.
The administration also plans to create a searchable database so New Yorkers can track upcoming appointments. Member terms will be extended from two years to four.
The committee plays a key role in recommending judges for Family and Civil Courts and interim appointees for Criminal Court.
Progressive legal groups praised the shift.
The Bronx Defenders said public defenders bring "an essential, frontline perspective" to the system, while The Legal Aid Society said Najmi's experience as a defense and civil rights attorney will help ensure the bench reflects "a deep understanding" of constitutional rights.
But Najmi's political ties to Mamdani, and his record as a progressive activist-lawyer, are likely to draw scrutiny from conservatives and moderates who argue the courts should remain insulated from ideological crusades.
The NYCity News Service reported in November that Najmi is not merely an outside legal expert, but part of Mamdani's tight inner circle, with the mayor referring to him as a "brother."
Najmi served as Mamdani's election attorney and played a central role in helping him secure the Democratic Party's nomination.
They have been close for years, with Najmi describing their relationship as decade-long and rooted in shared political organizing.
Mamdani, then a 23-year-old, first entered local politics by joining Najmi's 2015 City Council campaign.
According to the NYCity News Service, Najmi was born and raised in Queens, comes from a Pakistani background, and is Muslim.
He is a graduate of Oberlin College and CUNY School of Law, and has been involved in Democrat organizing, including leadership roles tied to the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, a group he helped found to mobilize Muslim voters and boost progressive candidates.
Najmi has also made clear his deep alignment with progressive criminal-justice priorities, backing proposals to shift public safety away from traditional policing models — a direction critics warn could further weaken law-and-order enforcement in the nation's largest city.