Mamdani appoints Pakistani-American Ali Najmi to chair judiciary committee

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed Pakistani-American attorney Ali Najmi to chair the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.

Najmi, a longtime advisor and election attorney to Mamdani, will lead the committee responsible for evaluating and recommending judges for the city’s Family and Criminal Courts, as well as interim judges for Civil Court.

“My administration will promote transparency in how we select New York City’s judges and ensure our judicial system reflects the city it serves, applies the rule of law universally, and does so without favour,” Mamdani said.

“There is no one better to lead this effort than Ali Najmi, who will bring the same determination and commitment he’s brought to the courtroom for decades to his new role as chair of the Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.”

Najmi and Mamdani share a long personal and professional relationship. Both Queens residents, they first met in 2015 when Mamdani volunteered on Najmi’s unsuccessful City Council campaign in eastern Queens.

The two have remained close since—often referring to each other as brothers—with Najmi later serving as Mamdani’s attorney and mentor during his State Assembly and mayoral campaigns.

Over his roughly 15-year legal career, Najmi has represented numerous insurgent and anti-establishment Democratic candidates, focusing on ballot access and election law. As recently as June, he represented at least 18 candidates in the Democratic primary.

A prominent civil rights and criminal defence attorney, Najmi said it is an honour to lead the committee and help shape the city’s judiciary. He noted that many New Yorkers are unaware of the committee or the judicial application process, contributing to a perception that only well-connected individuals can become judges—an issue he hopes to address through greater transparency and outreach.

Najmi is also a member of the Muslim Bar Association and earned his Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law.