New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has placed Soffiyah Elijah on the municipal judicial advisory board, a body of 18 members that screens candidates for criminal‑court judgeships. The board’s remit, according to city guidelines, is to help ensure that the judiciary mirrors the diversity of the city it serves.
Elijah, who founded the Alliance of Families for Justice, is known for representing a series of high‑profile defendants. Her client list includes Sundiata Acoli, convicted of murdering a New Jersey state trooper, and Marilyn Buck, linked to the 1981 armored‑truck robbery that resulted in multiple deaths. She has described many of those she has defended as “political prisoners” and has called for a overhaul of what she terms the “repressive racist criminal injustice system.”
Both Acoli and Buck were eventually released, the latter having lived with Elijah until her death. Elijah’s organisation has also counted former Weather Underground figures such as Kathy Boudin, convicted in the Brink’s robbery, and Susan Rosenberg, convicted of terrorism‑related offences, among its supporters.
Critics have highlighted the lack of Jewish representation on the advisory board, noting that roughly 10 % of New York City’s residents identify as Jewish. A Jewish lawyers’ association wrote a letter expressing “deep disappointment” and warned that the omission reflects a “troubling pattern” amid growing concerns about antisemitism.
John Leventhal, a former appellate judge who is Jewish, was passed over for the panel. Leventhal, who represented Ghislaine Maxwell in an appellate matter concerning her sex‑trafficking conviction, said: “It’s hypocritical to pick on the Maxwell case when people have other unpopular clients.” He added: “The fact that I’m Jewish, it has a stink about it. If not me, why not another Jew?” Leventhal, who helped establish the nation’s first felony domestic‑violence court, argued that defending controversial clients is a core principle of criminal defence work.
Ramzi Kassem, Mamdani’s chief counsel who oversees the advisory committee, has previously represented al Qaeda detainees. Kassem is also in a relationship with Darializa Avila‑Chevalier, a socialist activist and the Democratic nominee for a congressional seat covering Harlem and parts of the Bronx.
Elijah’s public statements have called for a justice system that does not default to punishment. She has also criticised lengthy sentences for individuals she regards as political prisoners, including a member of the De Mau Mau group convicted in a 1972 Chicago killing spree.
Mamdani’s office declined to comment when approached for a response. The details of the appointment and the ensuing criticism were first reported by the source material.