Sacramento 916.520.5211
Assistant Information
Deanna Fillon
Phone 916.520.5457
Email
Education
- J.D., with distinction, Stanford Law School, 2007
- B.A., summa cum laude, University of California at Berkeley, 2002
Bar Admissions
- California, 2007
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Meredith E. Nikkel
Partner
Clients facing complex water right issues rely on Meredith Nikkel’s discerning eye as a litigator and her problem-solving approach as an innovator.
Meredith’s practice addresses complex water and environmental issues with novel solutions to serve the needs of agricultural and municipal users of water throughout the State. Meredith has handled matters at all levels, from administrative proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board to state and federal trial and appellate courts. Serving private and public entities, Meredith provides insightful, practical analysis that achieves results.
She has successfully defended clients in civil and writ proceedings, settled multi-party disputes both informally and through extensive mediation processes, and secured victories in state and federal appellate courts. Meredith regularly represents water users in proceedings related to the operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, including environmental review processes related to long-term project operations and special projects such as the Delta Conveyance Project. Meredith serves as special counsel to local water suppliers, counseling water managers, boards of directors, and public agencies on surface and groundwater supply issues (including under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act), reclamation law, and compliance with environmental laws such as CEQA, NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act. Her past experience at the federal court of appeals and as a litigator at an international law firm gives her the tenacity to untangle the most complicated legal issues and the perspective to distill those issues into effective and durable solutions.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- Sacramento Tree Foundation, Board of Directors, 2018-present
- The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Program Chair for the Water Law Section for the Annual Institute, 2024-2025; Conference Planning Committee for the Water Law Institute, 2022-2023
- California Water Law & Policy Conference, Co-Chair, 2018-2024
- University of California at Davis Extension, Groundwater Law & Hydrology, Instructor, 2014-2020
- California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Editorial Board Member, 2013-2022
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, 2012-present
- McClatchy Law and Public Policy Academy, Mentor, 2013-2014
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Lawyers Association, ELS Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Program, Mentor, 2019
- Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment, 2012-present; Regional Team Member, 2012-2017
- Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court, Former Associate Member, 2009-2011
- Alameda County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), 2003-2004
- Stanford Law & Policy Review, Former Co-President
Honors & Rankings
- Best Lawyers in America©, Water Law, Natural Resources Law, Litigation – Environmental, 2023-2025
- Sacramento Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2019
- SacTown Magazine (formerly Sacramento Magazine), Top Lawyer, Environmental, Energy & Natural Resources, 2015-2024
- Clerkship, Judge Barry G. Silverman, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2007-2008
- Served as counsel in successful published decisions Natural Resources Defense Council v. Haaland, 102 F.4th 1045 (9th Cir. 2024), City of Marina v. County of Monterey, 97 Cal.App.5th 17 (2023), and Department of Water Resources Environmental Impact Cases, 79 Cal.App.5th 556 (2022).
- Successfully defended a state court challenge under Propositions 218 and 26 to a municipality’s policy designed to ensure future water supply and demand neutrality.
- Successfully defended local groundwater sustainability agency in a challenge under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
- Advise agricultural and municipal water users in complex state and federal court litigation regarding Central Valley Project and State Water Project operations under the Endangered Species Act and related environmental laws.
- Serve as special counsel to local municipal water suppliers on various water rights and environmental compliance issues.
- Defend public and private water rights in proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board, including pursuing water rights applications, filing protests to change petitions, and opposing a permit revocation.
- Advise private and public entities on compliance with and implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, including representation of clients in state court actions.
- Prosecute and defend writ of mandate actions in civil court.
- Counsel public entities regarding water rights in adjudicated and unadjudicated groundwater basins.
- Advised court-appointed Watermaster in the City of Los Angeles v. City of San Fernando groundwater adjudication (Los Angeles County).
- Represent agricultural landowner in negotiations with Bureau of Reclamation to establish contractual and pre-existing water rights.
- Advise public agencies in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and California Environmental Quality Act, including preparation of environmental documents and defending and pursuing litigation.
Announcements
15 related items-
October 24, 202442 Downey Brand Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by SacTown Magazine
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August 15, 2024Best Lawyers® 2025 Recognizes 44 Downey Brand Lawyers with Four Receiving Prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” Honors
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August 17, 2023Best Lawyers® 2024 Recognizes 46 Downey Brand Lawyers with Four Receiving Prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” Honors
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August 1, 202338 Downey Brand Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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August 18, 202240 Downey Brand Attorneys Honored as The Best Lawyers in America® and Ones to Watch 2023
Three selected as 2023 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” -
August 3, 202233 Downey Brand Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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June 17, 202138 Downey Brand Attorneys Honored as Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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July 24, 202045 Downey Brand Attorneys Earn Top Lawyers Distinction from Sacramento Magazine
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November 15, 2019Meredith Nikkel Named 40 Under 40 by Sacramento Business Journal
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May 1, 201949 Downey Brand Attorneys Distinguished as Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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June 29, 2018Sacramento Magazine Recognizes 54 Downey Brand Attorneys As Top Lawyers
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December 12, 2017Downey Brand Names Six New Partners
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July 14, 201752 Downey Brand Attorneys Make Sacramento Magazine’s 2017 Top Lawyers List
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July 15, 201660 Downey Brand Attorneys Make Sacramento Magazine’s 2016 Top Lawyers List
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July 14, 201551 Downey Brand Attorneys Named to Sacramento Magazine’s 2015 Top Lawyers List
In the News
1 related items-
December 12, 2017Law Firm Downey Brand Names Six New Partners
Sacramento Business Journal
Speaking Engagements / Events
33 related items-
January 30, 2025Deference to Administrative Agencies/Demise of the Chevron Doctrine: What Does it All Mean?Speaker, 57th Annual Mid Pacific Water Users' Conference
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September 30 & October 1, 2024From Delta to Drought: California Water Rights, Water Supply, and Land Use LawArgent Communications 38th Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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September 15, 2024Go With the FlowPanelist, 2024 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite
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November 2-3, 20232023 Water Law InstituteThe Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law
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June 8, 2023The Delta—Update on the Many Litigation MattersPresenter, Argent Communications 37th Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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January 26, 2023The ESA at Fifty: What Would President Nixon Think?Speaker, 55th Annual Mid-Pacific Water Users’ Conference
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November 4-5, 20222022 Water Law InstituteProgram Committee and Moderator, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law's 2022 Water Law Institute
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May 17 & 19, 2022California Water Management, Policy, and Regulation in This Time of ExtremesArgent Communications 36th Annual California Water Law & Policy Virtual Conference
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April 9, 2022Managing Flow Amid Increasing Demand: How Science Can Inform Policy2022 California Water Law Symposium - Water Law & Drought
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April 19 & 21, 2021Water Rights, Policy, Regulation, and the Future under the New AdministrationArgent Communications 35th Annual California Water Law & Policy Virtual Conference
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March 8, 2021Ethics of Water Law for PractitionersLorman Education Services Live Webinar
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December 20, 2019The Intersection of Water Law and the Endangered Species ActPanelist, Lorman Live Webinar
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July 25-26, 2019SMGA and Groundwater AdjudicationsPresenter, LSI Conference on Sustainable Groundwater Planning in California
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June 21, 2019Overview of Bay-Delta ActionsCo-chair and Presenter, Argent's 34th Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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May 7-10, 2019An Introduction to the Laws Governing the Bay-Delta: All the Acronyms You Need to Know, and What They MeanCo-panelist, ACWA 2019 Spring Conference & Exhibition
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February 13, 2019Groundwater Law and HydrologyCo-Instructor, UC Davis Extension
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November 27, 20182018 ACWA Legal Briefing & CLE Workshop Presented by Downey Brand LLPACWA 2018 Fall Conference & Exhibition
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June 11-12, 2018Water Projects, Rights and Management in the Era of Changing SupplyCo-Chair and Presenter, Argent Communications 33rd Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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June 11, 2018ESA Regulation and Water Rights: The Klamath Decision on TakingsCo-presenter, Argent Communications 33rd Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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May 8, 2018Water Rights and the ESA: How Do ESA-imposed Restrictions on Water Management Affect the Exercise of a State Water Right?Moderator, ACWA's 2018 Legal Affairs Committee CLE Workshop
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June 12-13, 2017California’s Water Law, Policy and Regulation: Coping with Drought, Floods and the New Federal AdministrationArgent Communications 32nd Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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June 12, 2017California WaterFix: An Adventure in Administrative LawPresenter, Argent Communications 32nd Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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April 21, 2017Sustainable Groundwater Management ActCo-instructor, UC Davis Extension
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March 11, 2017Water Quality & Allocation: SWRCB Overview & The Delta Water Quality Control PlanPanelist, McGeorge Water Law Symposium - The SWRCB Turns 50
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November 7, 2016Sustainable Groundwater Management Act 2.0Presenter, State Bar of California Environmental Law Section Seminar
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June 13, 2016Establishing the Limits of State Water Board Authority During Droughts: Overview of SWRCB Actions During the Recent DroughtPresenter, Argent Communications 31st Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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February 5, 2016Navigating the Labyrinth: What Public Agency Attorneys Need to Know About Water Rights and DroughtCo-presenter, Municipal Law Institute 2016 Symposium
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October 22, 2015Rights and Limitations on GroundwaterPresenter, Sacramento Sierra Chapter of the Appraisal Institute 2015 Lake Tahoe Conference
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September - October 2015Sustainable Groundwater Management Specialization ProgramCo-instructor, UC Davis Extension
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June 15, 2015Refining the SWRCB’s Drought Response in 2015: Curtailments and Conservation – Emergency Rulemaking as a Response to DroughtPresenter, Argent Communications 30th Annual California Water Law & Policy Conference
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May 6, 2015Groundwater Adjudications in the Age of Sustainable Groundwater ManagementPresenter, Association of California Water Agencies Spring 2015 Conference
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March 9-10, 2015The Impact of Water Right Curtailments on Land Use DevelopmentPresenter, California Land Use Law & Policy Conference
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March 6, 2014Down the Rabbit Hole: California’s Alice-in-Wonderland World of Subterranean StreamsPresenter, Groundwater Resources Association of California and USCID Water Management Conference
Blogs
2 related items-
August 20, 2019Trump Administration Announces Three Rules Making Sweeping Changes to Federal Endangered Species Act Regulations
CEQA Chronicles -
July 25, 2017DWR Certifies EIR for WaterFix, Triggering 30-Day Deadline for Opponents to File Suit
CEQA Chronicles
Legal Alerts
12 related items-
May 28, 2024Ninth Circuit Hands Major Victory to Senior Water Right Holders on the Sacramento River
Water Law -
March 22, 2024Sacramento County Superior Court Rules in Favor of the State Water Board’s Substitute Environmental Document for Phase I of the Bay-Delta Plan
Water Law -
November 20, 2023Court of Appeal Upholds County of Monterey’s Management of Groundwater in Landmark SGMA Case
Water Law -
June 9, 2022State Water Board Issues Sweeping Water Right Curtailment Order in 2022 for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed
Water Law -
August 17, 2021State Water Board Issues Emergency Regulations for Curtailments in Delta Watershed
Water Law -
July 24, 2017WaterFix EIR Certification and NOD Client Alert
Water Law -
October 13, 2015Governor Signs Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Part II: Groundwater Adjudications Meet Groundwater Management
Water Law -
March 24, 2015Drought Deepens – State Water Resources Control Board Adopts New Stricter Rules
Water Law -
September 2, 2014The New Groundwater Legislation: Opportunities and Challenges
Water Law -
July 15, 2014Sacramento River Settlement Contractors Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Review Scope of Endangered Species Act
Water Law -
May 23, 2014Farm Lenders and Farming Organizations File Amicus Brief in Crucial Ninth Circuit Water Case
Food and Agriculture Law -
April 21, 2014Updated Water Supply Amounts for State and Federal Projects
Water Law
Publications
52 related items-
June 2, 2023Hurdles Remain for Colorado River Agreement
Daily Journal -
January 2023Stanislaus County Superior Court Orders Water District to Vacate Approval of the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project Pending Compliance With CEQA
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 33, Number 4 -
January 2023In a Major Regulatory Step, FERC Approves Removal of Four Dams on the Klamath River
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 3, Number 4 -
December 2022California State Water Resources Control Board Adopts Water Conservation Standards for Urban Suppliers
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 3, Number 3 -
December 2022U.S. Department of the Interior Announces $210 Million for Drought Resilience Projects in the West
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 3, Number 3 -
November 2022Ninth Circuit Reverses District Court by Finding Congressional Authorization Allows Discretionary Releases From Twitchell Dam for Species Protection
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 33, Number 2 -
November 2022Ninth Circuit Holds That Native Alaskan Tribe has an Implied Right to Fish off the Tribe’s Reservation
Western Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 27, Number 1 -
September 2022Environmental Organizations File Lawsuit Challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Approvals of Enhancement of Survival Permits for Shasta River Landowners
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 2, Number 11 -
September 2022California Assembly Bill Would Require Groundwater Sustainability Agency Involvement in Local Agency Well Approval Process
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 11 -
July 2022U.S. Senators Introduce Financial Assistance Bill to Provide Additional Funding for Water Projects in the West
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 10 -
June 2022California Department of Water Resources Releases Draft Update Central Valley Flood Protection Plan
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 9 -
June 2022State Water Resources Control Board Conducts Public Workshop on Potential Impacts of Forthcoming Efficiency Standards on Local Wastewater Management
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 9 -
May 2022Environmental Interest Groups Challenge Groundwater Sustainability Plans for the Butte, Colusa, and Vina Subbasins
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 8 -
May 2022State Water Resources Control Board Approves Temporary Urgency Change Petition for State Water Project and Central Valley Project
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 8 -
April 2022Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Issues Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Decommissioning of Four Klamath River Dams
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 7 -
April 2022Department of Water Resources Begins Preparation of Environmental Impact Report for West False River Drought Salinity Barrier
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 7 -
March 2022U.S. Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in Sackett, Paving the Way to a Definitive Test for Determining Wetland Waters of the United States Under the Clean Water Act
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 6 -
March 2022DWR Deems Groundwater Sustainability Plans for 12 Critically Overdrafted Basins Incomplete and Require Revision
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 6 -
December 2021District Court Vacates Trump ERA Clean Water ACT 401 Water Quality Certification Rule – Remands to EPA for Further Proceedings
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 3 -
December 2021Fresno County Superior Court Denies Westlands Water District’s Validation Action on its Federal Water Repayment Contract
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 3 -
November 2021Governor Newsom Signs Senate Bill 323 Implementing a 120-Day Statute of Limitations for Challenges to Water and Sewer Service Rates
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 2 -
November 2021Water Agencies File Lawsuits Challenging State Water Board’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Curtailment Order
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 32, Number 2 -
July 2021San Francisco Challenges Conditions Imposed by State Water Resources Control Board on the City’s Water Quality Certification Issued for Projects on the Tuolumne River
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 31, Number 10 -
July 2021California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Release the State Water Project and Central Valley Project Drought Contingency Plan
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 10 -
June 2021California Department of Water Resources Releases Final Drought Planning Report for Small and Rural Water Suppliers
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 9 -
June 2021California Governor Newsom Issues Drought Proclamations
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 9 -
March 2021Congress Introduces Bill to Coordinate River Restoration Efforts Between the United States and Mexico and to Protect the Salton Sea
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 6 -
February 2021U.S EPA Finalizes Guidance on Implementation of U.S. Supreme Court’s ‘Functional Equivalent’ Clean Water Act Test in County of Maui Case
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 5 -
January 4, 2021Sierra Club Files CEQA Challenge to Proposed New Off-Stream Storage for the Central Valley Project
Argent Communications Group -
November 18, 2020Congress Considers Amendment to Expand Reach of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
Argent Communications Group -
September 7, 2020FERC Order Requires PacifiCorp to Remain on for Klamath Dam Removals
Argent Communications Group -
September 7, 2020Council on Environmental Quality Publishes Final Rule Updating NEPA’s Implementing Regulations
Argent Communications Group -
May 6, 2020California Department of Fish and Wildlife Issues Incidental Take Permit for Long-Term Operations of the State Water Project
Argent Communications Group -
January 2020District Court Holds U.S. Army Corps is Not Obligated Under the Clean Water Act or Other Laws to Dredge Channels on Annual Basis
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 30, Number 4 -
January 2020Federal Circuit Determines CVP Restoration Fund Payments Must Be Proportionately Assessed to Water and Power Customers
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 30, Number 4 -
October 1, 2018Federal Government and Center For Biological Diversity Reach Settlement over ‘Wild And Scenic’ Rivers
Argent Communications Group -
August 30, 2018Wildfires, Farms, Fish and Meeting Water Demands
Daily Journal -
August 2018Water Rights and Environmental Regulation: A Lawyer’s Guide
American Bar Association -
March 2017Preparing for Sustainable Groundwater Management: A Review of Groundwater Recharge
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 27, Number 6 -
Fall 2016California Groundwater Management: Laboratories of Local Implementation or State Command and Control?
Environmental Law News, Vol. 25, No. 2 -
November 2016Governor Brown Approves Assembly Bill 2551, Which Broadens Public Contracting Options for Surface Water Storage Projects
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 27, Number 2 -
May 2016Still Waiting for a Federal Response to the Drought: A Legislative Update
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 26, Number 8 -
December 2015Does Every Drop Really Count? An Inconsistent Accounting of California’s Water Supply
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 26, Number 3 -
November 2015Union of Concerned Scientists Proposes Best Practices to Achieve Goals of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 26, Number 2 -
August/September 2015A Federal Response to the Drought – Three Bills Pending in Congress
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 25, Number 11 -
June 2015Environmental Groups File Suit Against San Francisco Challenging Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 25, Number 9 -
April 2015U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Finds No Significant Impact for Trap and Haul Operation in Conjunction with San Joaquin River Settlement Agreement
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 25, Number 7 -
March 2015State Water Resources Control Board Partially Approves Temporary Changes to the State Water Project and Central Valley Project Water Rights Permits
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 25, Number 6 -
February 2015Ninth Circuit Upholds Biological Opinion Regarding Impacts of Central Valley Project and State Water Project Operations on Salmonid Species
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 25, Number 5 -
February 2013United States-Mexico Agreement Represents Cooperative Approach to Address Water Allocation Issues on the Colorado River
Water Resources Committee Newsletter, American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Vol. 15, No. 1 -
2012-PresentCalifornia Water Law & Policy Reporter
Monthly Contributing Writer -
January 2012Association of California Water Agencies
Contributing Writer, Summary of Appellate Cases
I hope to visit all 59 of the National Parks in the United States in my lifetime. I’ve been to all of the parks in California (with my children!) and 20 parks overall. I look ahead to the many roads I have to travel.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- Sacramento Tree Foundation, Board of Directors, 2018-present
- The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Program Chair for the Water Law Section for the Annual Institute, 2024-2025; Conference Planning Committee for the Water Law Institute, 2022-2023
- California Water Law & Policy Conference, Co-Chair, 2018-2024
- University of California at Davis Extension, Groundwater Law & Hydrology, Instructor, 2014-2020
- California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Editorial Board Member, 2013-2022
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, 2012-present
- McClatchy Law and Public Policy Academy, Mentor, 2013-2014
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Lawyers Association, ELS Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Program, Mentor, 2019
- Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment, 2012-present; Regional Team Member, 2012-2017
- Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court, Former Associate Member, 2009-2011
- Alameda County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), 2003-2004
- Stanford Law & Policy Review, Former Co-President
Honors & Rankings
- Best Lawyers in America©, Water Law, Natural Resources Law, Litigation – Environmental, 2023-2025
- Sacramento Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2019
- SacTown Magazine (formerly Sacramento Magazine), Top Lawyer, Environmental, Energy & Natural Resources, 2015-2024
- Clerkship, Judge Barry G. Silverman, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2007-2008