He is co-founder of BlueLine Grid alongside William Bratton and David Riker and is a former member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 5th district from 2001 to 2009.

[2] In 2001, Weiss was elected to the Los Angeles City Council from 5th district, defeating former state senator, assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate Tom Hayden by 369 votes.

[2] During his tenure on the Council, Weiss wrote legislation that toughened the city’s gun laws,[16] and he served as the founding chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.

[24][25] In 2007, Weiss announced that he would run for Los Angeles City Attorney seat in 2009, when incumbent Rocky Delgadillo would be forced from office by term limits.

[26] That May, a group of residents in his district launched a campaign to try to force a recall election of Weiss, accusing him of being too supportive of large development projects.

[19][27] Weiss said the developments were permitted under the city’s zoning laws and would bring needed jobs, housing, property taxes and other infrastructure improvements to the area.

[29] Several members of the Council threw their support behind Trutanich and Weiss was frequently criticized for his close relationship with Villaraigosa, whose popularity had fallen and who had won reelection in March by a much lower margin than expected.

[31] He has served as a member of the UCLA School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.

[32] Weiss serves as a member of the board of the Younes and Saraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA,[33] and is also a contributing editor to the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.