Upending California’s political system

1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 1/10
California Journal: Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending
California’s political system, one town at a time
Kevin Shenkman, 38, at a restaurant in Venice, has spent the last few years suing or threatening to sue California cities that
elect their councils in at-large elections. (Robin Abcarian/Los Angeles Times)
BY ROBIN ABCARIAN
MAY 14, 2017 3 AM PT
ADVERTISEMENT
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 2/10
Kevin Shenkman, who is tall and bookish, does not look like the aspiring light
heavyweight boxer he once was.
Clearly, though, he still relishes a good fight.
For the past several years, Shenkman, 38, who lives and practices law in Malibu, has
been suing, or threatening to sue, cities all over Southern California, demanding they
change the way they elect members of their city councils in order to increase the
numbers of African-American and Latino representatives.
Many have agreed to do so, though some have resisted before capitulating.
Shenkman’s legal cudgel is the California Voter Rights Act, which for 15 years has made
it easier for minority groups to prove that they are disenfranchised by at-large elections,
where all voters of a city vote for all members of a city council.
ADVERTISING
First Republic Bank – Sponsored
Concierge Banking Is Here
Learn More
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 3/10
Many believe this practice has institutionalized racial discrimination, allowing blocs of
white voters to overwhelm the choices of blacks and Latinos. Until Shenkman sued
Palmdale, for instance, where about two-thirds of residents are minorities, only one
Latino, a Republican, had ever been elected to office.
“Obviously, the leadership did not represent the people they served,” said Darren
Parker, who serves as chairman of the California Democratic Party’s African-American
Caucus. “I’ve lived in the Antelope Valley for over 30 years, and had been trying to
obtain some sort of equity or diversity in the leadership.”
In 2012, Parker decided the only way to change things was to sue the city for violating
the California Voter Rights Act. He did some research and found a story about a young
attorney who had sued Panda Express for failing to disclose that it put chicken broth in
its steamed vegetables. Something about that appealed to Parker, who had once worked
for McDonald’s, so he phoned Shenkman.
“When he called, I told Darren I had no idea what he was talking about, but I thought,
‘I’m a Democrat, and this sounds important, I’ll look into it,’” Shenkman told me. He
asked his law partner, Mary Hughes, who happens to be his wife, what she thought.
“She said, ‘You are crazy.’ I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ ”
He contacted three voting-rights experts — constitutional law professor Justin Levitt of
Loyola Law school, Cal Tech history professor Morgan Kousser and demographer David
Ely — who helped him figure out how to approach the case, and then brought in two
experienced trial lawyers, R. Rex Parris (who happens to be the mayor of Lancaster) and
Milton Grimes, perhaps best-known as the late Rodney King’s attorney.
I think he is so zealous that he forgets to eat and sleep.
DARREN PARKER, CHAIRMAN, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAUCUS
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 4/10
Shenkman expected the Palmdale case to resolve quickly, but the city fought back. In
2013, the case went to trial. Palmdale lost. A judge ordered new, by-district elections.
In November, Palmdale elected its first Democratic Latino City Councilman, Juan
Carillo, from a new district on the city’s east side, “one of our first success stories,” as
Parker told me.
“I think Kevin was heaven-sent,” Parker said. “He is dedicated to serving others in spite
of himself sometimes. I think he is so zealous that he forgets to eat and sleep.”
As the Voting Rights Act requires, Palmdale had to reimburse Shenkman’s legal costs,
which were about $4.6 million.
Even if other cities didn’t see the benefit in switching to district elections for the right
reasons, it soon became clear that moving to district elections was a sure way to avoid
sky-high legal fees. Because they were probably going to lose.
::
Shenkman first came to my attention last week because he was the subject of a
meandering profile on the Breitbart website, “the platform for the alt-right,” as its
former executive chairman Steve Bannon so memorably described it. I like to read
Breitbart to keep an eye on how the far right filters the news.
I got a chuckle out of the original headline, which has since been changed: “Meet the
Malibu Lawyer Playing the Race Card — and Making Millions — All Over California.”
More columns »
With loaded language like that, imagine my surprise when the first paragraph praised
Shenkman as “one of the most prolific and successful civil rights lawyers of his
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 5/10
generation.”
Of course, this being Breitbart, there was also a line about how some consider
Shenkman “a villain, a do-gooder from Malibu who is creating racial divisions where
they do not exist.”
Shenkman, a father of four girls, said he didn’t mind the story but was taken aback by
some of the anti-Semitic comments from Breitbart readers. “I’m Jewish,” he said, “and
there were a number of comments like, ‘Look at his last name, that explains it all.’”
When it comes to civil rights activists, this kind of garbage goes with the territory.
::
After he won in Palmdale, Shenkman was contacted by the Southwest Voter
Registration Education Project, a Lincoln Heights-based group with a decades-long
history in “the voting rights business,” as its president Antonio Gonzalez put it. He
considers district elections “a paramount tool in the voting rights toolbox.”
“Palmdale created a new conventional wisdom for cities, which is, ‘We are not going to
win, so let’s work it out,’” Gonzales said. “We just sent another 15 demand letters, so we
are up to 25 jurisdictions.”
Before the year is out, he said, “We’re going to do 100.”
As my colleague Phil Willon reported last month, out of California’s 482 cities, only 59
hold district elections, and no city that holds at-large elections has ever prevailed in a
California Voting Rights Act lawsuit.
Some critics have carped that the promised changes have not occurred, that despite all
the letters and lawsuits, relatively few Latinos have been elected to traditionally white
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 6/10
city councils.
“Listen, I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” Gonzalez said. “If you create a viable district,
minority voters will elect their candidate. It takes several years to marshal forces.”
Last year, Shenkman sent demand letters to Hemet, Wildomar, Hesperia, Upland and
Costa Mesa, among others. All adopted district elections for no later than 2018. Other
cities that have recently made the switch include Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Fremont
and Anaheim.
He also filed lawsuits against San Juan Capistrano, West Covina, Rancho Cucamonga
and Santa Monica. All but the liberal bastion of Santa Monica have either settled or are
in the process of doing so. In court papers, Santa Monica city attorneys say that the
city’s at-large system does not deprive minorities of representation and that two of
seven City Council seats are occupied by “presumed Latinos.”
Santa Monica,” said Shenkman, “has vowed to fight to the death.” A trial in that case is
scheduled for Oct. 30.
On Friday, I reached Juan Carillo, Palmdale’s first elected Democratic councilman. He
represents District 4, in Palmdale’s heavily Latino east side.
“If it wasn’t because of the Voter Rights Act lawsuit,” he said, “I am sure we would still
have all five council members, including the mayor, residing on the west side.”
Some of the things he’d like to bring to his constituents: free wi-fi for children whose
parents can’t afford it, better parks, more commercial development and perhaps a nice
restaurant or two.
Palmdale spent about $7 million defending its losing position. What a waste. Imagine
how many kids could be getting better parks and free wi-fi with that kind of money.
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 7/10
For more on politics »
[email protected]
Twitter: @AbcarianLAT
ALSO
An aggravating anniversary for Simi Valley, where a not-guilty verdict
sparked the ’92 L.A. riots
Guns, ghosts and guilt: Helen Mirren portrays the widow whose
Winchester Mystery House defies logic
More from Robin Abcarian
Robin Abcarian
Twitter Instagram Email Facebook
Robin Abcarian is an opinion columnist at the Los Angeles Times. She writes about
news, politics and culture. Her columns appear on Wednesday and Sunday. Twitter:
@AbcarianLAT
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 8/10
For Damon Albarn, modern life is still pretty much rubbish
FOR SUBSCRIBERS
Lonely in L.A.? These 21 places and experiences will help you embrace it
All California schoolchildren must be vaccinated against COVID-19 under new bill
72 hours of unpaid work? ‘Unacceptable,’ say dancers and critics of Super Bowl halftime show
L.A. County seeing more fatalities from Omicron as COVID-19 deaths climb
SUBSCRIBERS ARE READING
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 9/10
Subscribe for unlimited access
Follow Us
eNewspaper
1/25/22, 7:04 PM Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-shenkman-voting-20170514-story.html 10/10
Coupons
Find/Post Jobs
Place an Ad
Media Kit: Why the
L. A. Times?
Bestcovery
Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell My Personal Information

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment Help Service Works

1. Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2. Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3. Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4. Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---