EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:  Hydee Feldstein Soto, LA’s First Latina City Attorney on Reform, Homelessness, and Accountability

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CITYWATCH EXCLUSIVE - Hydee Feldstein Soto made history as the first woman and first Latina elected Los Angeles City Attorney — and she stepped into the job at a moment when public trust in City Hall was badly shaken.

In this exclusive CityWatch interview, Feldstein Soto talks with Mihran Kalaydjian about what motivated her to run, how she is reshaping the City Attorney’s office, and why integrity and accountability are at the center of her agenda.

She shares how her team is balancing constitutional rights with the city’s urgent need for safe, clean public spaces, including the launch of LA’s first outdoor community outreach court on Skid Row. She also explains her push to reduce costly city lawsuit payouts, strengthen anti-corruption safeguards, and modernize contracting and payment systems.

With momentum building for City Charter reform, Feldstein Soto weighs in on how changes to LA’s governance structure could improve transparency and efficiency — and why maintaining an independently elected City Attorney is critical.

“If I can restore the office to what it was during the days of Bert Pines,” she says, “I will be very proud of the job.”

Watch the full conversation below as Feldstein Soto discusses her vision for the office, her plans to protect taxpayer dollars, and her goal of leaving a legacy of fairness, innovation, and public trust for Los Angeles.

 

(Mihran Kalaydjian brings over two decades of experience in public affairs, government relations, legislative policy, and strategic communications. A respected community leader and education advocate, he is deeply engaged in civic activism and has spearheaded numerous academic initiatives across local political forums. Mihran is a regular contributor to CityWatchLA.com, where he writes on education, civic engagement, and policy issues.)