The city attorney runs an office of more than 550 lawyers representing L.A. in all legal matters, including filing lawsuits and defending against them — and L.A. is involved in a lot of lawsuits.
Think of the city attorney as the head of a law firm representing the L.A. city government as its client. The person who holds this office counsels city departments, boards and officers on legal issues, including how to interpret court rulings or the city charter.
The city attorney oversees all litigation involving L.A. and works as a legal advisor to the mayor and City Council. When the City Council proposes a law, the city attorney actually writes the law.
Our limited-run newsletter Make It Make Sense unpacks the ballot count and results, then checks in regularly on officials voted into office and the measures voters pass.
Gang injunctions: In the 1980s, City Attorney James Hahn, who later became mayor, pioneered the use of gang injunctions, which are court orders that prohibit gang members from doing things like staying out past a certain hour at night, wearing clothes with gang colors or assembling in large groups within certain areas. Civil liberties groups have long argued that gang injunctions profile communities of color and over-criminalize youth, but L.A. city attorneys since Hahn have generally supported the practice as a way to reduce gang-related crime. Courts ordered L.A. to restrict its use of gang injunctions in 2020.
The office is made up of at least five branches:
It’s difficult to say anything specific at this point. So much depends on who is elected, what their priorities are and what kind of legal conundrums the L.A. city government finds itself in. City attorneys have to respond to the cases that land on their desks.
However, the next city attorney will likely have to continue to contend with immigration activity in the region and the city’s relationship to the Trump administration. That includes community protests and how the city responds to those protests.
The top two candidates in the June primary will face off in the November general election, unless a contender gets more than 50% of the votes, at which point the race will be called.
Hydee Feldstein Soto
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Courtesy Hydee Feldstein Soto
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Hydee Feldstein Soto is running for a second term after being elected as L.A.’s first female city attorney in 2022.
Feldstein Soto has had a long career as a lawyer. She was previously a partner at two major law firms specializing in commercial finance and bankruptcy litigation, and briefly served as general counsel for entertainment company Kin Community.
During her first term, Feldstein Soto led a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration over immigration enforcement actions, filed price gouging charges against rental platforms and landlords after last year’s L.A.-area fires and created the office’s first Public Rights Branch.
But her tenure hasn’t been without controversy.
Feldstein Soto has been accused of an ethics breach by asking for a campaign contribution from a testifying expert in one of the city’s most expensive lawsuit settlements over the past few years and of retaliating against a long-time city prosecutor for reporting legal and ethical violations. More recently, prosecutors in her office have accused her of favoring political donors in criminal cases, including dropping a price gouging case against a campaign donor. In interviews with LAist, Feldstein Soto denied allowing money or personal relationships to affect her decisions. “That’s not how I roll,” she said.
She grew up in Puerto Rico and has lived in Los Angeles for about 40 years.
In her own words
Feldstein Soto told LAist she’s running for reelection because she believes the work she and her team have started is too important to leave unfinished. She said she’s reorganized the office to be more responsive, transparent and aggressive in protecting the public interest.
“I am the first woman and the first Latina to serve in this position, and I have no future political aspirations beyond this office,” Feldstein Soto told LAist via a candidate survey. “That gives me the freedom to tackle the really difficult work of reforming how the office operates and optimizing it to deliver for the people of our city, without fear or favor.”
Feldstein Soto said her top priorities have consistently been public safety, public integrity and public services. She said stopping Trump’s "unconstitutional actions” in the city is also a major priority, including leading a coalition to challenge immigration raids in court.
Criminal justice: Feldstein Soto said her top priority as the city’s chief prosecutor of misdemeanors has been ensuring public safety through fair, effective and proactive prosecution while also addressing the root causes of crime.
“I have preserved and expanded restorative justice programs like the Neighborhood Justice Program and made changes to encourage participation from working people, younger residents and people of color.”
Homelessness and housing: Feldstein Soto said the city has made important strides, but challenges remain. She said her office has worked on proposed amendments to the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance and hired a community activist dedicated to tenants rights and affordable housing.
“I do support enforcing Ordinance 41.18 and keeping our schools and neighborhoods safe while ensuring those living on the streets have the resources they need to rebuild their lives.”
Transparency and public accountability: Feldstein Soto said she’s committed to as much transparency as possible within the confines of law, privilege and confidentiality obligations.
“I have enforced the City Charter's competitive bidding process, required certifications that signatories have no interest in contracts, prohibited developer-drafted ordinances, eliminated referral fees, and implemented best practices in cash management and collections.”
Liability payouts, lawsuits and outside counsel spending: Feldstein Soto said the real solutions to reducing liability lie in departments taking corrective action and having the funding to fix sidewalks, potholes, aging infrastructure and other dangerous conditions.
“Every dollar that leaves our general fund in settlements is less money to hire needed city workers or provide our dedicated workforce with the raises they deserve. I support putting a hard cap on these suits against our cities and counties, similar to caps that already exist in 38 other states.”
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Aida Ashouri
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Courtesy Aida Ashouri
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Aida Ashouri, a lawyer and an activist, worked as a reserve deputy city attorney in Los Angeles for about a year, going on to serve as deputy city attorney in San Diego.
Ashouri was an associate and staff attorney at several law firms, including nonprofits that provide free legal services to low-income Angelenos, immigrants and renters, among others.
Ashouri, an Iranian immigrant, highlights her membership in the Peace and Freedom party, which is described as California’s socialist ballot-qualified political party. As with other city of L.A. races, city attorney is a nonpartisan office.
In her own words
Ashouri told LAist she’s seen the need to protect vulnerable victims of crime and how overpolicing leads to racial profiling and the criminalization of poverty. She said the City Attorney’s Office can do more to address immigration raids, with Ashouri planning to use her human rights background to hold the Trump administration accountable.
“We need new leadership that has the right experience, knowledge, and passion that will keep the City Council accountable, secure the rights of Angelenos, fight against slumlords, and make L.A. safer for everyone,” Ashouri’s campaign told LAist via a candidate survey.
Ashouri’s top priorities include supporting renters and defending tenants from landlords, protecting constitutional rights and reviewing cases for violations of racial profiling, she said.
Another top priority for Ashouri, a cyclist, is making streets safer by making sure vehicular crimes are taken seriously and advising other city officials to make changes to problem areas to prevent future liabilities.
Criminal justice: Ashouri said she’s seen the issues in the criminal justice system and their impact firsthand.
“As city attorney, I would reform the criminal division and train attorneys to recognize cases where constitutional rights are violated and to not file those cases. My goal would be to abolish racial profiling in my office.”
Homelessness and housing: Ashouri said she’s advocated for affordable housing, an expansion of renters’ rights and changing zoning laws to allow more housing to be built near transit and places of work.
“I would make our office a beacon of championing renters’ rights and exemplar in holding landlords accountable.”
Transparency and public accountability: Ashouri said she’d seek to make the City Attorney’s Office “accountable to the people of Los Angeles” by restructuring the office, eliminating expensive outsourcing of legal work to big law firms and creating focused units that would build stronger cases for the city in order to reduce liability payments.
Liability payouts, lawsuits and outside counsel spending: Ashouri noted that the settlements are tied to serious problems in the city and from people who’ve suffered injury or death.
“The only way to reduce liabilities is to fix the problems causing them. People sue because they have real injuries, and they should, and the city should be held accountable for its negligence.”
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John McKinney
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Courtesy John McKinney
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John McKinney is a deputy district attorney in the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office with experience in various Southern California courtrooms.
In his role, McKinney has worked with the Victim Impact Program, which is designed to support vulnerable victims of crime in the county, the juvenile court system, the Hardcore Gang Unit and Major Crimes Division. He has prosecuted high-profile murder cases, including the 2019 shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle.
This is not his first attempt running for local office — McKinney was a candidate in the crowded L.A. County district attorney race in 2024.
McKinney grew up in New Jersey before attending UCLA School of Law.
In his own words
McKinney told LAist he’s running to bring experienced leadership, improved public safety and restored fiscal accountability to the city. McKinney said he has fought for victims and held violent offenders accountable during his more than 25 years as a prosecutor in L.A.
“[McKinney] will focus on repeat offenders driving down quality-of-life crime, retail theft and organized shoplifting, illegal firearms, and dangerous activities such as street racing and open-air drug markets,” McKinney’s campaign told LAist via a candidate survey. “He is also committed to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and greater integrity in city government.”
McKinney’s top priorities are public safety and neighborhood protection. He said he will “challenge the status quo” to make sure laws are enforced consistently, fairly and with integrity.
Criminal justice: McKinney said he believes in enforcing the law fairly and without fear or favor. “As City Attorney, he will uphold the integrity of the justice system and city government.”
Homelessness and housing: McKinney said addressing homelessness requires compassion, services and accountability. “McKinney supports enforcing laws that protect public safety and keep sidewalks, parks and schools accessible, while working with service providers and diversion programs to help individuals access housing, treatment, and support.”
Transparency and public accountability: McKinney said the City Attorney’s Office must be an efficient steward of public funds, delivering strong legal representation while minimizing unnecessary costs.
Liability payouts, lawsuits and outside counsel spending: McKinney said he respects constitutional protections that allow legal aid attorneys to challenge government actions. “Limiting such advocacy through contract conditions or fear of lawsuits undermines legal services for the city’s most vulnerable and under-served residents.”
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Marissa Roy
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Courtesy Marissa Roy
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Roy started in the L.A. City Attorney’s Office through a Justice Catalyst Fellowship in 2017.
Roy went on to work as outside counsel for L.A. County, where she says she represented the county in all its litigation against the first Trump administration. She currently serves as deputy attorney general in state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, focusing on consumer protection.
Roy, who grew up in Monrovia, was also a staff attorney at the Public Rights Project and worked on L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s 2024 campaign.
In her own words
Roy told LAist she wants to see the City Attorney’s Office be the most significant public interest law office in Los Angeles, and added that it’s time to elect someone “who knows how to do this job for the people.”
“We need a city attorney with the right experience and true integrity. I plan to dramatically scale up the public interest litigation so that workers, tenants, climate, civil rights, and fighting the Trump administration are all top priorities for the office,” Roy told LAist via a candidate survey. “In tandem, I will ensure that liability is managed cost-effectively so that resources are not pulled from vital City services.”
Roy’s top priority is making sure the city is at the forefront of litigation against the Trump administration, including filing lawsuits and using the office’s misdemeanor authority to prosecute ICE agents. Workers’ rights and protecting renters are also top priorities, she said.
Criminal justice: Roy said she wants to pursue public safety strategies backed by evidence and built with community stakeholders. “I would work to restore and scale up diversion programs, so we can use all of the tools in our toolbox to address public safety. That does not mean freezing misdemeanor prosecution — for example, we would vigorously prosecute rogue ICE agents — it means right-sizing and tailoring our approach based on what will most effectively serve public safety.”
Homelessness and housing: Roy said the City Attorney’s Office is critical to combatting the dual housing and homelessness crises in three ways. “First, I would bring lawsuits forth on behalf of renters so that they can keep their housing — we must stem the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline. … Second, I would make sure that the City Attorney’s Office is facilitating housing development, not obstructing it. … Finally, my approach to public safety also serves the proven solutions for permanently lifting people out of homelessness.”
Transparency and public accountability: Roy said that as city attorney, she’d uphold the highest standards of accountability, transparency and integrity. “This includes faithfully executing the dual function of the role, restoring a culture of trust and respect within the Office and prioritizing compliance for all city departments.”
Liability payouts, lawsuits and outside counsel spending: Roy said liability costs have spiraled out of control over the last three years, making up one-third of the city’s deficit last year and risking the city’s ability to provide services. “To reduce liability costs, I would cut spending on outside counsel; I would adopt proven risk-management practices, such as case valuation panels used by the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, to make smarter settlement decisions; and I would invest in compliance so that we prevent lawsuits before they arise.”
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To see the full list of donors to each campaign, visit the L.A. Ethics Commission’s Public Data Portal and input the name of any candidate under “Committee(s)” and get a full list of contributors to campaigns and independent expenditure committees.
LAist's Brianna Lee also contributed to this report.
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