L.A. City Attorney Offers Heartfelt Advice on Social Justice to Immaculate Heart Students

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer recently offered sage advice to Immaculate Heart seniors studying social justice issues: Develop your full potential, he said, but also remember to reach out to those less fortunate.

Along with words of wisdom, Feuer shared key aspects of his job when he met with students from Immaculate Heart High School’s Justice and Peace class. Joining the students at Feuer’s City Hall office were their teacher, theology instructor Timothy Crehan, and IH Principal Naemah Morris.

Crehan’s wife, deputy city attorney Adrienne Khorasanee, arranged the nearly hour-long meeting with Feuer after a student pitched the recent Wells Fargo Bank scandal as a relevant news topic for the class to study. Feuer was the first to file a lawsuit last year against Well Fargo for fraudulent practices, including the opening of unauthorized customer accounts. In September, Feuer announced that the lawsuit had been settled and that Wells Fargo would provide restitution to affected customers and pay $50 million in civil penalties.

While explaining his involvement with the Wells Fargo case to students, Feuer also described what the Office of the City Attorney does for the City of Los Angeles on a daily basis, and why he himself chose that career and elected office. He also shared why he believes social justice, especially the protection of the vulnerable, is such an important part of his administration.

“The students left with a clearer understanding of the City Attorney’s service to the City of Los Angeles and how his service affects our daily lives,” said Crehan.

Senior Tasja Drahveen described the visit with Feuer as “an extremely eye-opening and positive experience.” She liked that Feuer opened up about his life and how he had dealt with failures, including his own near-fatal car crash, and how he lost the first time he ran for the Office of City Attorney. She was especially touched when Feuer said he was inspired by his grandmother, a Russian Jew who immigrated to the United States and then persevered as a single mother in a new country.

“He gave us a lot of advice on how to deal with failure, and he told us that to find the most satisfaction, we should all pursue something we feel the happiest doing rather than what will make us the most money,” Drahveen explained.

Feuer’s comments were also timely for yet another reason, said the senior. “He gave a lot of advice that I felt was appropriate for a class of seniors about to continue on to college,” she said.

About Immaculate Heart

Founded in 1906, Immaculate Heart educates young women in grades sixth through 12th from its central location in the Los Feliz foothills near Griffith Park in Hollywood. The school has a long and distinguished history, with more than 10,000 graduates. Today’s student body of more than 700 young women is both geographically and ethnically diverse, drawing on students from throughout Los Angeles County. Last year, virtually 100 percent of Immaculate Heart graduates matriculated to colleges, including the most prestigious schools in the country.