38th Annual Land Use Law & Planning Conference

Details regarding next year's conference will be provided once available.

Learn, network, and keep current.

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The 2024 Annual Conference was held on Friday, February 2, 2024.

For information about the 2024 speakers, panel discussions, and conference co-chairs please see below.

UCLA Extension’s annual Land Use Law and Planning Conference is the leading networking event and source of information on California land use legislation, case law, and the emerging issues that frame land use and development practices in the nation’s most populous state.

The program’s unique cross-disciplinary approach explores the full range of perspectives drawn from land use planning, legal, development, and environmental communities, and demonstrates how these factors influence the day-to-day work of planners, developers, environmental regulators, and attorneys.

Now in its 38th year, the UCLA Extension conference offers a big-picture view of land use law and planning practice, with knowledgeable speakers providing succinct and provocative updates on core state and federal case law and legislation, as well as practice pointers on basic land use law and planning issues for practitioners and scholars.

Who should attend?

All individuals involved in land use and environmental issues in California, including:

  • Public officials & planners
  • Attorneys & consultants
  • Developers & real estate professionals
  • Students interested in planning and public policy

Join Us!

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Date & Time
2025 dates are to be announced
8:30am–4:30pm PT

Location
Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza
251 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Registration Fee
$625*

*Student Fee: $495; Members of Donating Organizations: $595

 

Fees & Credit

Registration is required for this program. Visitors are not permitted. Fees include conference materials sent via PDF. There will be no virtual streaming option for attendance.

  • Regular: $625
  • Student: $495
  • Members of Donating Organizations: $595

Accrediting Associations

Attend this year's conference and earn up to 7.0 Credit Hours (0.7 CEU) from Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)* and APA - American Planning Association**

*This activity has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit by the State Bar of California for credit hours stated above. UCLA Extension certifies that this activity conforms to the standards for approved educational activities prescribed by the rules and regulations of the State Bar of California governing minimum continuing legal education.
 
**This activity has been approved for Continuing Professional Development Program (CM) credits by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Refunds

The refund deadline is February 1, 2024 by 1:00 pm PT. Refunds cannot be made after this time. A service charge of $30 is withheld from all refunds (full refund granted if the conference is canceled or rescheduled). For more information, call (310) 825-9971.

 

 

8:30 a.m. Welcome & Program Overview
8:45 a.m. Update #1
CEQA Overview
10:15 a.m. Morning Break
10:30 a.m. Assessment #1
Attaining Housing for All
Hear the latest developments including the state Density Bonus Law, the Surplus Lands Act, SB 330, SB 35, and more.
12:00 p.m. Lunch Break
12:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker
1:15 p.m. Update #2
Quick Hits
1:45 p.m. Assessment #2
Clearing the Air: How Air and Emissions Regulation are Impacting the Industrial Sector and At-Risk Communities.
3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break
3:15 p.m. Update #3
Planning, Zoning, and Development Law
4:25 p.m. Closing Comments
 
4:30 p.m. Conference Ends

Panel Discussions

 

A perennial favorite, hear representatives of both the petitioner and local agency sides present and analyze the year's most significant CEQA developments. 

Panelists

Charity Schiller
Partner, Best Best & Krieger

Kevin Bundy
Partner, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger

Moderator:

David C. Smith
Partner, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Attaining Housing for All – The Legislature, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Justice, cities and counties throughout the state, and NGOs are adopting new laws, regulations, and strategies to tackle the housing crisis at all levels. Hear the latest developments including the state Density Bonus Law, the Surplus Lands Act, SB 330, SB 35, and more.

Panelists

Elizabeth Hull
Partner, Best Best & Krieger

City Government Representative

Legislative Representative

Moderator

Matthew Burris
Deputy City Manager, City of Rancho Cucamonga

What’s new from California’s Judicial and Legislative Branches? An annual draw, this panel will address major changes in land use law that have occurred in the courts and in Sacramento over the last 12 months. Useful tips and tricks will be shared with all who care to know about them. 

Panelists

Patricia Curtin
Director, Fennemore

Matthew Klopfenstein
Partner, Cal Advisors LLC

Moderator

Alisha Winterswyk
Partner, Best Best & Krieger LLP

Possible Topics

  • Climate Disclosures - SB 253 and SB 261
  • WOTUS and WOTS
  • Insurance
  • Wildfire
Moderator

David C. Smith
Partner, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Clearing the Air: How Air and Emissions Regulations Are Impacting the Industrial Sector and At-Risk Communities 

Panelists

SCAG Representative

Jon Shardlow
Partner, Allen Matkins

SQAQMD Lawyer

Moderator

Matthew Burris
Deputy City Manager, City of Rancho Cucamonga

 

Conference Co-Chairs

UCLA Extension extends gratitude to the Land Use Law & Planning Conference Co-Chairs.

Alisha Winterswyk

Alisha Winterswyk is a partner in the Environmental and Natural Resources practice group at Best Best & Krieger LLP.  She is a CEQA and land use lawyer that advises public and private clients on an array of environmental, planning and municipal laws.

Alisha’s practice is both transactional and litigation-based as she takes a “soup-to-nuts” approach to representing clients and in the development process. Over the past several years, Alisha has contributed to the UCLA Land Use Law and Planning Conference as a speaker and she is delighted to now serve as a co-chair for this fantastic event.

David Smith

David Smith is a partner with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and splits his time between the firm’s Orange County and San Francisco offices. Mr. Smith counsels land developers, conservation companies, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and individuals at the intersection of law and government on land use entitlement, real estate development and regulatory compliance. He is frequently engaged in entitlement and permitting matters for development projects that are, or have the potential to be, particularly contentious and complicated.

Mr. Smith’s expertise includes all facets of land use and related regulatory compliance including the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, climate change, the McAteer-Petris Act and California’s planning and zoning laws. In addition to his practice, Mr. Smith frequently speaks at law schools and conferences throughout the state.

Matthew Burris

Matthew Burris is the Deputy City Manager over Community and Economic Development for the City of Rancho Cucamonga. He has over 17 years of experience working with local government working for a variety of private sector firms as well as for local governments as an employee. Matt also served as a Planning Commissioner for California’s newest City of Jurupa Valley. In addition to his work in community development, Matt has regularly taught planning courses for both UC Berkeley and UC Riverside.

He is a Certified Planner, a LEED Accredited Professional, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara, as well as a Master of Science in City and Regional Planning and a Master of Science in Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Both Matt in his professional capacity, and many of the projects he has been instrumental in, have won state and national awards.

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Public Policy at UCLA Extension

For over 27 years, UCLA Extension has been training professionals in public policy through the annual Land Use Law and Planning Conference, CEQA seminars, as well as climate policy, education policy, health care policy, and food justice courses. 

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Speak to a program representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.

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