Former Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin ’93 has returned to LMU Loyola Law School to teach his first full-semester class this fall – and he’s bringing some impressive peers with him.
“Government Lawyering – The Intersection of Law and Politics” introduces students to a wide range of government lawyer career paths, from public defender to U.S. attorney. Each week features a guest speaker who will discuss his or her job and career path and take questions from students. The speaker lineup includes Los Angeles California Attorney General Rob Bonta, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón and L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, among others.
Galperin served as twice-elected city controller of Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022, following more than 20 years as a transactional and litigation attorney. He said that when he reached out to colleagues to invite them to speak to his class, every single one said yes – a testament to the commitment each of them has to public service and giving back to students.
“I have found public service, and working in government and with people who are in government, to be unbelievably rewarding,” Galperin said. “I wanted to be able to pass that on to others, and to hopefully educate our students about all the many different ways that they can be in public service.”
Galperin said his students are an impressive group, with diverse experiences and viewpoints. He hopes the class helps them hone their interests, determine which areas of government law most resonate with them, and decide where they can make the biggest difference.
Regardless of their specific areas of interest or whether they work at a firm, nonprofit, company, or even academia, most students will end up interacting with government lawyers during their careers, Galperin said. “Understanding where government lawyers are coming from – and understanding what their issues and challenges and perspectives are – is absolutely crucial,” Galperin said.
Galperin said his time at Loyola Law School taught him critical thinking skills, how to absorb abundant material, and strategies for communicating ideas to others. He also learned the importance of being precise with language, since one word can alter the meaning of legal documents, laws and more. These are all skills, he said, that he relied on as City Controller and throughout his career.
“What’s great about law school is that graduates often pursue careers that may not be the practice of law per se – but the skills you learn in training to be a lawyer are with you for life,” he said.
The schedule of speakers for the course is:
- August 30: Heather L. Rosing, CEO and President, Klinedinst PC
- Sept. 6: Michael Nebenzahl & Rachel Richman, Municipal Attorneys and Partners in Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP
- Sept. 13: Ricardo Garcia, L.A. County Public Defender
- Sept. 20: George Gascón, L.A. County District Attorney
- Sept. 27: Hydee Feldstein Soto, L.A. City Attorney
- Oct. 4: Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney
- Oct. 11: Adam Siegler, Of Counsel Greenberg Traurig LLP – Military Law
- Oct. 18: Dawyn Harison, L.A. County Counsel
- Oct. 25: Scott Harris, Professor and Administrative Lawyer
- Nov. 1: Rob Bonta, California Attorney General
- Nov. 18: Cara Jenkins, California State Legislative Counsel
