Marni von Wilpert

Marni von Wilpert
City of San Diego · Public domain · source
Name	Marni von Wilpert
Office	San Diego City Attorney
Term start	2022
Birth place	Cleveland, Ohio
Party	Democratic Party
Alma mater	Stanford University; Yale Law School

Marni von Wilpert

Marni von Wilpert is an American attorney and public official who serves as the San Diego City Attorney. She previously worked as a federal prosecutor and as an advisor on national security and civil rights matters, and she has been associated with legal matters involving policing, public corruption, and municipal litigation.

Early life and education

Von Wilpert was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in a family that lived in the American Midwest before relocating to Southern California, where she attended public schools near San Diego. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and later attended Yale Law School, where she engaged with clinics and programs connected to civil rights, criminal justice reform, and public interest law. During her academic career she interacted with faculty and visiting scholars linked to institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, New York University, and programs connected to the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Legal career

Von Wilpert began her legal career with clerkships and roles that connected her to federal litigation and appellate practice, collaborating with attorneys from offices tied to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She served as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of California, where she prosecuted cases alongside prosecutors who coordinated with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Her work overlapped with matters involving the Department of Homeland Security and interagency task forces that included personnel from the United States Marshals Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division. She also participated in initiatives with legal organizations such as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Federal Bar Association, and state professional groups including the California Lawyers Association.

San Diego City Attorney campaign and tenure

Von Wilpert ran for San Diego City Attorney in a municipal race that attracted endorsements from elected officials including members of the San Diego City Council, leaders linked to the California Democratic Party, and public figures associated with progressive policy networks such as MoveOn.org Political Action, EMILY's List, and local labor unions with ties to the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Her campaign engaged with civic institutions including the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, neighborhood associations recognized by the San Diego Housing Commission, and advocacy groups active around issues once highlighted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the NAACP San Diego Branch. After election, she assumed responsibilities that required coordination with the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego City Council, the San Diego County District Attorney, and municipal departments such as the San Diego Housing Commission and the San Diego Port Authority. Her office interacted with legal frameworks and filings in state and federal courts including the California Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Notable cases and initiatives

As City Attorney she led or supervised civil litigation and policy initiatives addressing police practices, public safety, housing litigation, and municipal contracting, coordinating with agencies and entities such as the San Diego Police Officers Association, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and nonprofit litigants represented by firms and groups similar to the ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties, National Housing Law Project, and local legal aid organizations like Legal Aid Society of San Diego. Her office brought actions or filed amicus positions in matters related to civil rights statutes such as claims brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (commonly invoked via 42 U.S.C. § 1983), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state statutory schemes administered by the California Department of Justice and the California Attorney General’s office. She negotiated settlements and reforms involving consent decrees or memoranda of understanding that mirrored processes used in other jurisdictions, including examples from cities like Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and New York City. Her initiatives addressed municipal contracting transparency, drawing on procurement practices from the Municipal Lobbying Reform Act-style proposals and oversight mechanisms used by authorities such as the Office of Inspector General in various cities.

Political positions and public profile

Von Wilpert is aligned with progressive Democratic officials and policy groups, and her public statements and endorsements connected her with figures such as members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, state legislators in the California State Legislature, and elected leaders in the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. She has engaged publicly on issues that intersect with civil liberties advocates, policing reform proponents, housing policy researchers from institutions like the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, and community organizations such as Indivisible chapters and neighborhood coalitions. Her media profile included interviews and coverage from local outlets like the San Diego Union-Tribune, regional public broadcasters similar to KPBS (FM), and national publications that report on municipal law and policy including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Politico.

Category:California lawyers Category:People from San Diego Category:Stanford University alumni Category:Yale Law School alumni