(LOS ANGELES) – Today, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has been awarded the prestigious Gold Seal from the California State Bar’s DEI Leadership Seal Program in recognition of its exceptional efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the legal profession. Feldstein Soto’s office is the only City Attorney’s Office in the State to be honored with this gold distinction to date, and one of just two government organizations to receive the top tier Gold Seal in the most recent 2024 cohort.
"I am proud of the work we have done together in this administration to implement DEI practices and policies within my office and throughout the City. It is gratifying to have that work recognized by the State Bar of California and I thank and credit the good work of my Equity and Inclusion Division and the nearly 40 volunteers who serve on my office's Equity Panel," said Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. "As the only City Attorney's Office to have received the Gold Seal from the California State Bar to date, we remain committed to the best practices for legal excellence, inclusivity and fairness implemented across the office and the City and to continuing to build a leadership team for the 21st century public law firm that we have become."
With more than 1,000 legal professionals, including 550 attorneys, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is among the nation’s largest municipal law offices. Under Feldstein Soto’s leadership, it has been at the forefront of promoting DEI through a series of initiatives, including:
- Supporting employee affinity groups, including the Asian Pacific City Attorneys Association, the Association of Black City Attorneys, the Latino City Attorney Association, the LGBTQ Pride Association, the City Attorney Women's Association, and the City Attorney’s Jewish Affinity Group;
- Creating a dedicated Equity and Inclusion Division to support the City’s and the Office’s equity work through exceptional legal services and focused internal initiatives;
- Uplifting the Office’s stance on DEI by highlighting its commitment to advancing equity on the website, in position announcements, and
- Creating a DEI strategic plan to guide future work.
The California State Bar’s DEI Leadership Seal recognizes California legal employers that commit to and implement specific DEI action items. Employers that implement nine of the State Bar’s action items are recognized with the top honor - a gold seal. As part of the State Bar’s rigorous evaluation process, the City Attorney’s Office demonstrated its ongoing work by showing implementation of the Action Items set forth by the State Bar. The Gold Seal is a significant recognition of the office’s statewide leadership in DEI efforts.
To read the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement, click here.
###
Hydee Feldstein Soto is the 43rd Los Angeles City Attorney, elected in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Her team of more than 1,000 legal professionals, including 550 attorneys, carries out legal work for the City of Los Angeles at her direction and under her supervision. She is the first female City Attorney in L.A. history.