Adams appoints Asim Rehman commissioner, chief administrative law judge at OATH

Muslim, South Asian to lead agency first

March 30, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Asim Rehman, new commissioner and chief administrative law judge of OATH. Photo courtesy of NYC Law Department

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the appointment of Asim Rehman as commissioner and chief administrative law judge of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).

Rehman will be the first Muslim American and the first person of South Asian descent to lead OATH. He currently serves as deputy commissioner for legal matters and general counsel at the New York City Department of Correction (DOC).

In his role, Rehman will deepen OATH’s mission of adjudicating city matters fairly, resolving conflicts within city agencies and providing inclusive and equitable access to justice.

Rehman currently serves as deputy commissioner for legal matters and general counsel at the New York City Department of Correction, where he oversees the agency’s legal operations and provides advice and counsel to agency leadership.
He also is an adjunct professor of law at New York Law School, where he teaches “Law, Public Policy & Social Change.”

In 2020, Rehman joined the New York City Law Department as chief of staff. As a member of the executive team, Rehman supported the Law Department’s efforts to provide legal guidance to the city throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rehman joined city government in 2014 as general counsel for the new Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Investigation for the NYPD. As general counsel and later first deputy inspector general, Rehman helped build this independent oversight office from the ground up, managed legal operations, supervised investigations, and oversaw the release of critical reports aimed at reforming the NYPD.

He began his legal career as a federal law clerk in the Southern District of New York and then practiced law with two law firms. During this time, he also served as a pro bono special assistant district attorney in Brooklyn.

“In order for our city to operate effectively and carry out its core functions, we need fair, expeditious, and just administrative trials and hearings,” said Adams. “Asim Rehman is a proven reformer, who will bring his legal expertise and keen understanding of city government to his new role at OATH, and I’m proud to announce his appointment.”

“The work that OATH does is critical to the mission of making our city fairer, more inclusive, and more equitable,” said Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall Brendan McGuire. “Asim Rehman has not only impeccable legal credentials, but also a deep commitment to public service and fidelity to the law. I look forward to working with him to further OATH’s mission.”

“I am thrilled and honored to receive this appointment, and I look forward to working with OATH’s dedicated public servants to further the agency’s mission,” said Rehman. “Through the sound administration of trials and hearings and a thoughtful approach to conflict resolution, OATH helps New York City meet its goal of being not only the greatest city, but also the fairest and most just city.”

“My deepest congratulations to Asim Rehman as the next commissioner of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings,” said Dr. Debbie Almontaser, CEO and founder of the Bridging Cultures Group, who was also the founder of the Khalil Gibran International School in Brooklyn. “I can’t think of a better person to head this office than Asim Rehman. He has been a staunch advocate for justice as a lawyer in the private and public sector.”

“The Muslim Bar Association of New York congratulates Asim Rehman on his appointment as the new commissioner and chief administrative law judge at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings,” said Sania Khan, president, Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY). “Asim is a brilliant attorney and a compassionate leader, who will undoubtedly execute this role with equity and fairness in mind.”

“The South Asian Bar Association of New York proudly celebrates Asim Rehman’s appointment as commissioner of OATH, and we thank Mayor Eric Adams for continuing to promote our very best lawyers to positions of authority,” said L. Austin D’Souza, president, South Asian Bar Association of New York.