L.A. OFFICIALS WILL DO CITY PROUD IN WASHINGTON.

Byline: Richard Riordan 

CALIFORNIANS, and especially Angelenos, are proud that President Clinton has tapped two skilled coalition builders - Ray Fisher and Bill Lee - for top jobs at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Fisher, former president of the Police Commission, will make a superb associate attorney general - the No. 3 job at Justice. Bill Lee, now heading up the Los Angeles office of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, is eminently qualified to head the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. In these two Los Angeles leaders, President Clinton has chosen wisely for our nation.

Ray Fisher is a genuine friend of law enforcement and ideal for the Justice position. From his experience as head of the Police Commission, Fisher knows first-hand the needs of police officers and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. As associate attorney general, he will be an activist in helping implement the president's goal of putting 100,000 additional police officers on the streets.

Fisher has a distinguished legal career and an equal commitment to public service having served as president of our city's Civil Service Commission, of the Constitutional Rights Foundation and of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. In each role, he has risen above the minefields of politics and partisanship, forging coalitions to promote outstanding programs and policies to ensure equal access to and treatment under the law. As deputy general counsel for the Christopher Commission, which was charged with reviewing the practices of the LAPD after the Rodney King beating in 1991, Fisher's determined efforts resulted in a road map for reform.

Widely respected for his intellect and responsiveness, Fisher's calm leadership during a challenging and pivotal time at the LAPD will leave a legacy of excellence. Our city will continue to benefit from his leadership and integrity when he assumes his responsibilities in Washington, D.C.

I first came to know and respect Bill Lee when he served as opposing counsel in a case challenging the quality of public bus service provided to poor riders in the Los Angeles area. I found him to be the kind of person who looked for practical solutions to real-life problems.

Without flashy rhetoric and divisive tactics, Lee worked cooperatively with our Metropolitan Transit Authority to structure a plan that settled the case, saved the city thousands of dollars in legal fees and resulted in a markedly more equitable funding of the bus system.

Lee is the son of Chinese immigrants in New York whose parents endured the outright insult of bigotry. Despite this, they still had faith in America, and they instilled in their son the hope that every American could be treated equally. Lee has devoted his career to protecting the rights of poor children, women, minorities and others who often lack access to the legal system.

Working for the Legal Defense Fund, Lee's work has centered on cases to dismantle segregation in public schools, remedy racial discrimination in housing and voting, and obtain relief for people who lost out on jobs or promotions because of their race, national origin or sex. He's also led successful efforts to ensure that poor children living in old housing were properly tested for exposure to poisonous levels of lead.

Lee has been a strong force for civil rights, and he has been a voice for those who had no voice. He is well suited for the important job of leading the nation's civil rights efforts.

Bill Lee and Ray Fisher have served Los Angeles with distinction. Now they offer their leadership, intelligence and integrity to all Americans. I am confident that both men will make significant contributions to the Justice Department and to our country's commitment to safe streets and equal rights for all Americans. They are hometown heroes who will serve our nation well.