LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has hired Mitch Kamin, a lawyer who has fought the Trump administration and provided legal services for underserved communities, to be her next chief of staff. Kamin, who, like the mayor, is a graduate of Alexander Hamilton High School, will be Bass' third chief of staff in her nearly three years leading the city — a much more rapid turnover than in ...

Mitch Kamin, who will be L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ next chief of staff.

Los Angeles Mayor’s Office/TNS

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has hired Mitch Kamin, a lawyer who has fought the Trump administration and provided legal services for underserved communities, to be her next chief of staff.

Kamin, who, like the mayor, is a graduate of Alexander Hamilton High School, will be Bass' third chief of staff in her nearly three years leading the city — a much more rapid turnover than in previous administrations.

Announcing the appointment in a press release Friday, Bass called Kamin a "seasoned leader and status quo disrupter."

The Harvard-educated lawyer has decades of experience as an executive at nonprofits and legal services organizations and has served on several city commissions.

Most recently, he was general counsel and chief strategy officer for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a project of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas that is set to open next year.

Before that, Kamin was a partner at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP, where he helped the firm recruit for its first L.A. office and was co-chair of the global commercial litigation practice group and the entertainment and media industry group. He previously was president of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services.

"Mitch is a passionate, committed and compelling leader," former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who was a partner with Kamin at Covington, said in a statement.

Kamin, 58, is taking charge of Bass' office as the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown in Los Angeles and across the country. During Donald Trump's first term, he represented the city in a lawsuit against the Department of Justice that prevented the federal government from requiring cooperation with immigration enforcement as a condition of receiving grant money.

Kamin replaces Carolyn Webb de Macias, who has led the mayor's office since November 2023. She had been retired and was only supposed to serve in the role for a year but stayed on longer following the January wildfires, the mayor's office said.

The mayor's first chief of staff was Chris Thompson, who led the transition team after her election.

Chiefs of staff in recent mayoral administrations often served longer. Ana Guerrero headed the mayor's office for eight years under Mayor Eric Garcetti, while Robin Kramer served under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for about four.

Guerrero lost her post in 2021 after revelations that she disparaged elected officials, city employees and others in a private Facebook group. She stayed on with the mayor in a diminished role.

Kamin was appointed by Garcetti in 2016 to serve on the commission that oversees the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. He also served as president of the board of commissioners for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles starting in 2011.

Kamin was on the board when the agency fired its CEO, Rudolf Montiel. The board drew criticism for providing Montiel with a $1.2 million severance package.

"The basic thing was to eliminate any legal liability … close this chapter and move forward," Kamin told The Times in 2011.

Kamin will start his new job on Sept. 22, Bass told her staff in an office-wide email.

"Mitch has my full support and mandate to lead this team and to maximize our effectiveness and performance," she wrote.