Steven Banks Steps Down: Shift to Advocacy Amid Legal Firm Controversy

Steven Banks has resigned from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to focus on advocacy with the Coalition for the Homeless alongside the Legal Aid Society. His resignation follows a controversial deal between the firm and President Trump concerning an executive order challenging its business practices.

Steven Banks, a prominent figure in the legal arena, has announced his resignation from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Banks, who previously served as New York City's social services commissioner, plans to refocus his efforts on advocacy work with the Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society.

This move comes shortly after the Wall Street law firm secured an agreement with President Donald Trump, effectively lifting an executive order that had threatened its operations. As part of the settlement, Paul Weiss pledged $40 million worth of pro bono legal services for mutually agreed-upon community projects.

The resignation of Banks, 68, signals his return to grassroots legal advocacy. He expressed a desire to make a meaningful impact as his career winds down and has cited this as a pivotal time to be on the front lines of social justice issues he has championed since the early 1980s.

(With inputs from agencies.)