Jack Weiss was elected to the 5th District of the City Council in June 2001 and reelected on March 8, 2005. The district includes parts of the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles.
Much of Jack Weiss’ legislative program is dedicated to improving the City’s ability to fight crime, prevent disasters and respond to emergencies, particularly through improved local homeland security. In 2002 he wrote “Preparing Los Angeles for Terrorism – A Ten-Point Plan” which is among the most thorough assessments of local threat preparedness in the nation. In 2002, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) selected him as the “New Democrat of the Week” to recognize his leadership on local security, and he was named one the “100 New Democrats to Watch” in 2003.
A former federal prosecutor, Jack Weiss works to ensure that police policies and practices reflect modern standards. As Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, he is leading the effort to grow the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to 10,000 officers and he strives to achieve meaningful police reform. He has led the way to improve the use of DNA testing by LAPD to identify and prosecute rapists. In 2005 he received the Humanitarian Award from the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, and the Los Angeles County Sexual Assault Coordinating Council honored him for his work in 2003.
Environmental issues are a significant legislative priority for Jack Weiss. He has focused his efforts on cleaning up Santa Monica Bay and local urban waterways, for which he received the Award for Public Service from the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters in April 2003. He is president of the Santa Monica Bay Watershed Council and served for four years as the chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.
Jack Weiss is a member of the Council’s Planning & Land Use Management Committee, which oversees issues affecting the region’s growth and development. He is a member of the Rules and Government Committee and Vice Chair of the Ad Hoc Stadium Committee.
Prior to his election, Jack Weiss served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, where he was assigned to the Public Corruption and Government Fraud Section. He focused on criminal prosecutions involving sophisticated white collar crimes, corrupt public officials, civil rights violations, and violent crimes.
Jack Weiss is active in numerous civic and professional organizations. He serves on the UCLA Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Southwest Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League. He is a Senior Fellow of the Truman National Security Project, a founding member of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Westside Urban Forum, Heal the Bay, and Los Angeles County Young Democrats, and has served on many local bodies and bar committees.
Jack Weiss received his law degree from UCLA, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the UCLA Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree with honors from Princeton University, where he majored in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Before returning to law school, he worked as a foreign policy adviser on Capitol Hill and as an arms control researcher in Washington, D.C. He is married and has two children.