Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer has long been one of California's leading lawyers and lawmakers.  Now, as L.A.’s chief lawyer and prosecutor, he has brought an innovative, problem-solving focus to the office that combines tough and effective prosecution with initiatives to improve the quality of life throughout the city.

In his first two years as City Attorney, he has nearly tripled the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program, formed a strike force to combat illegal dumping, closed nearly 600 of the City’s unlawful medical marijuana dispensaries, cracked down on identity theft, and targeted polluters.

A leader in preventing gun violence, he created a Gun Violence Prevention Unit in his office and has worked aggressively to keep guns out the hands of criminals and children. In a groundbreaking national effort, he joined with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. to co-found and chair Prosecutors Against Gun Violence--an independent, non-partisan coalition devoted to prosecutorial and policy solutions to the public health and safety crisis of gun violence.

City Attorney Feuer previously served as the Majority Policy Leader of the California Assembly and Chair of the Assembly's Judiciary Committee.  He was also a member of the Los Angeles City Council where he was Chair of the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee.

Four years ago, the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program was cut back because of budget restraints. Feuer aims to expand it to 21 prosecutors in the wake of community complaints. “Neighborhood prosecutors are community problem solvers,” Feuer said in a statement, “and make a real difference in people’s daily lives.”

Karine Phillips, neighborhood prosecutor for the Topanga Division, is a native of Moscow, is fluent in Russian and Armenian.  She was raised in Los Feliz and graduated from the University of Southern California. Philips then earned a a JD from the USC Gould School of Law.

She was hired by the City Attorney’s Office in 1997, then assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit, where she prosecuted hundreds of cases of spousal, child, elder, sexual and other abuse. She later went into private practice before returning to the city.