CITY ATTORNEYS BACK HAHN FOR RE-ELECTION.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

City Attorney James Hahn's bid for re-election over challenger Ted Stein received a boost Monday when he was endorsed by the Los Angeles City Attorneys Association.

The association representing the nearly 400 attorneys in the City Attorney's Office endorsed the incumbent because of aggressive efforts to improve working conditions and his innovative approach to city problems, according to Assistant City Attorney Shelley Smith, president of the association.

``His 12 years as city attorney have given him the experience and knowledge necessary to appreciate the dedication and loyalty required of public sector attorneys,'' Smith said at a news conference on the steps of City Hall.

Smith praised Hahn's use of civil injunctions against gang members and his creation of a special unit to prosecute domestic violence cases.

With the election scheduled for April 8, Hahn said the endorsement is valuable because it is a vote of confidence from the attorneys on the front lines in his office's fight against crime.

Smith said the endorsement was approved by a unanimous vote of the association's board of directors, whose members polled attorneys in the field before taking a position.

However, Stein campaign spokesman Harvey Englander downplayed the endorsement, saying it did not involve a fair assessment of the two candidates.

``It means nothing,'' Englander said. ``They didn`t even bother to meet with Ted or to talk to Ted.''

Instead, Englander said the endorsement is a recognition that Hahn controls who gets raises in the City Attorney's Office.

Stein has received the endorsements of county Sheriff Sherman Block and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.