After months of saber rattling between the New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams over his choice of Randy Mastro to become the city’s top lawyer, Mr. Mastro finally got his chance to plead his own case on Tuesday.

He appeared before a Council nomination hearing, the contentious nature of which seemed apt for Mr. Mastro, a well-traveled lawyer known for his pugnacious tactics while representing a broad range of politicians and clients. Some of them were clearly distasteful to many of the Democratic Council members.

But council members’ prime objection seemed rooted in why Mr. Adams had settled on Mr. Mastro as his choice for corporation counsel, who would provide legal representation to the city and its agencies and would also represent Mr. Adams in civil litigation.

The timing would seem to suit the mayor: He was accused in a lawsuit filed last year under New York’s Adult Survivors Act of sexually assaulting a Florida woman three decades ago.

Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the City Council, said the corporation counsel “must faithfully represent all of us,” not “prioritize the mayor or any single official” and “have a strong record of championing what the public holds dear, including justice and equity.”