Carolyn Phillips

As a Deputy District Attorney for over 10 years, Carolyn worked primarily as a child advocate. Her most important case resulted in a state prison commitment of over 99 years for the defendant. The eldest victim, a 6-year-old boy, won the State Attorney General’s witness of the year award for bravery, the first time a child ever received the award, and the first time an award recipient received a bicycle instead of the customary plaque.

In 2002, Carolyn joined Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono public interest law firm. She served as Directing Attorney of the Child Care/ Early Education Law Project and as the Directing Attorney of the Homelessness Prevention Law Project.

In 2006, Carolyn joined the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where she works to this day. Her early work was in conjunction with public interest groups to fight for the adoption of best practices hospital protocols for the discharge of homeless and mentally ill patients. She contributed to recommendations for criminal justice reform office-wide in 2020, and currently prosecutes cases at the LAX Courthouse where the need for mental health and healthcare resources and referrals to services is very great.