Muslim Americans in Public Service is thrilled to announce Asim Rehman as a member of its Advisory Council.
Asim Rehman is the Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge at the NYC Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings (OATH). OATH is the New York City’s central, independent administrative law court. As the agency’s chief executive, Asim helps further OATH’s mission of adjudicating city matters fairly, resolving conflicts within city agencies, and providing inclusive and equitable access to justice. OATH is the nation’s largest administrative tribunal, holding approximately 400,000 trials and hearings a year. Mayor Adams appointed Asim to this role in March 2022.
Asim began his legal career as a Federal Law Clerk in the Southern District of New York and thereafter practiced law with two firms where he handled complex litigation, white-collar criminal defense, internal and government investigations, anti-corruption matters, and a broad range of pro bono cases. Following the passage of the 2013 Community Safety Act, Asim joined NYC’s new DOI Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD as General Counsel and was later promoted to First Deputy Inspector General. At OIG-NYPD, Asim 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. After five years in police oversight, Asim joined the the NYC Law Department as Chief of Staff. As a member of the Law Department’s executive team, Rehman supported the Law Department’s efforts to provide legal guidance to the city throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Asim joined the NYC Department of Correction as Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters & General Counsel. As the Department’s Chief Legal Officer, he oversaw the agency’s Legal Division and provided legal advice and counsel to the Commissioner, agency officials, and staff. He remained in this role until his appointment at OATH.
In 2006, Asim and a group of lawyers founded the Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY). As President, he helped build MuBANY into one of the country’s largest and most active regional bar associations for Muslim lawyers and law students. While with MuBANY, Asim wrote and spoke on issues concerning civil liberties and the Muslim American community and has consulted with New York community organizations on law enforcement matters. He has served on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Working Group, has testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and was sent by the U.S. State Department to India to talk to audiences about civil rights, civic engagement, and the U.S. legal profession.