Jennifer Mizrahi
Partner, Ontario
Practice Summary
Jennifer Mizrahi is a Partner with Cole Huber LLP, and has practiced municipal law for her entire career, spanning well-over two decades. She currently serves as the City Attorney for the City of Desert Hot Springs, and the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Indio. Prior to joining Cole Huber, Jennifer served as City Attorney for Desert Hot Springs for over a decade and continues in that service. She also served as Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Victorville, and Deputy General Counsel for the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority, Glendale Oversight Board, the Victorville Water District, and the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority. At the commencement of her career, Jennifer represented the City of Lynwood and the Water Replenishment District, as Deputy Legal Counsel.
During her career representing public entities, Jennifer has acquired extensive experience in many facets of municipal law, including land use planning, environmental analysis, annexation proceedings, contract negotiations, public works, prevailing wage compliance, Proposition 218, eminent domain, and sales and property tax measures.
Jennifer is also one of the leaders in cannabis law regulation, having the distinct pleasure to represent the City of Desert Hot Springs from stem to stern in the cannabis arena. Jennifer works with elected officials to solidify their ideas and is a key player in creating a highly regulated and developer-friendly space where the cannabis industry flourishes. To that end, Jennifer drafts all ordinances, regulations, policies, and procedures and oversees the legal aspects of the regulatory field. Jennifer also works with representatives at the State level providing input on State cannabis regulations, often being asked to give real-life experience on policies and procedures. Further, Jennifer was instrumental in working with several public agencies, including CalFire and water districts, to effectively develop a comprehensive inter-agency cannabis regulatory structure within the County of Riverside. Most importantly, Jennifer oversees the implementation of the City Council’s zero-tolerance stance on non-compliant cannabis activity.
Education & Admissions
Jennifer was admitted to the State Bar of California in January 2003, and received her Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies/Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she graduated with honors. Jennifer also attended the University of Madrid, Complutense, where she studied international political economy, and is fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish.
Jennifer is admitted to practice before all courts of the State of California, the United States District Court, District 7, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Professional Activities
Jennifer is an active member of Cal Cities (League of California Cities), Desert Bar Association, and the Southwestern Alumni Association. For the past decade, Jennifer has been a member of the Attorney Development and Succession Committee of Cal Cities and currently chairs the Law School Outreach subcommittee, as well as the Municipal Law Institute. In the past, Jennifer was Chairperson of the Cannabis Regulation Committee of Cal Cities. Jennifer was one of a team of cannabis attorneys who drafted “Seed to Sale: A Guide to Regulating Cannabis in California Cities,” a leading legal treatise used throughout the State of California.
Up Close
Jennifer is an avid gardener, focusing on succulents, hoya and bromeliads. Jennifer also enjoys studying ancient Greek philosophy, and hopes to study one day in Athens, Greece, just as the ancient people once did. Of note, Jennifer is a huge music fan, and you can often see her at concerts with her son, who is studying guitar.