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Our 37th Annual Conference was held on Friday, January 27, 2023.For more information about the 2023 speakers, panel discussions, and conference co-chairs please see below. Details regarding next year's conference will be provided once available. |
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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
Fees & Credit
Registration is required for this program. Visitors are not permitted. Fees include conference materials sent via PDF.
- Regular: $595
- Student: $395
- Members of Donating Organizations: $495
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**
Refunds
The refund deadline is January 26, 2023 by 11:59pm 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 2022- A Year in Review |
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10:15 a.m. | Morning Break | |
10:30 a.m. | Assessment #1 The Land Use & CEQA Implications of Climate Regulation & Legislation |
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12:00 p.m. | Lunch Break | |
12:30 p.m. | Keynote Address: Mary Nichols | |
1:15 p.m. | Update #2 Quick Hits |
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1:45 p.m. | Assessment #2 VMT: Where are we and what is driving mitigation strategies |
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3:00 p.m. | Afternoon Break | |
3:15 p.m. | Update #3 Planning, Zoning, and Development Law |
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4:25 p.m. | Closing Comments |
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4:30 p.m. | Conference Ends |
Panel Discussions
On January 27th, join us for a review of the important issues of the past year—and a look at what’s ahead for 2023.
A perennial staple and favorite at the conference, hear distinguished panelists cover the judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments that occurred in the CEQA arena in 2022. You will be up-to-date and up-to-speed on all things CEQA after attending this session.
Panelists
Tina Thomas
Counsel, Downey Brand
Kevin Bundy
Partner, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger
Moderator:
David Smith
Panelists:
Patricia Curtin
Director, Fennemore
Matthew Klopfenstein
Partner, Cal Advisors LLC
Moderator
Alisha Winterswyk
Get the latest and greatest on pending CESA listings, wildfire regulation updates and guidance from the Attorney General, developments under the Brown Act, the Scoping Plan, WOTUS, and the "builder's remedy."
Panelists
David Smith
Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Alisha Winterswyk
Partner, Best Best & Krieger LLP
In the wake of CARB’s action on the 2022 Scoping Plan, an 11th-hour legislative press by Governor Newsom, appropriation of hundreds of billions in federal funding, and rapidly evolving local mandates, this panel will identify on-the-ground land use and CEQA implications of ever-evolving and increasingly stringent climate regulations and legislative mandates, including a newly heightened focus on and mandate for environmental justice considerations.
Panelists:
Lauren Sanchez (invited)
Senior Advisor on Climate to Governor Newsom
Amee Raval
Director, Asian Pacific Environment Network
Shelby Buso
Chief Sustainability Officer, City of San Diego
Moderator
David Smith
With the passage of SB 743, transportation impact assessments under CEQA were turned upside down. In concept, a focus on vehicle miles traveled should be an effective new lens for assessing transportation impacts of projects on the environment, providing an added bonus of comprehensively considering many secondary impacts of automobile activity. Nearly ten years after the bill was signed by the Governor, we are still finding challenges with establishing thresholds, consistently evaluating impacts, and developing mitigation programs. Join our panel of experts to hear the latest strategies on effectively assessing VMT and addressing and mitigating impacts.
Speakers:
Josh Lee
Deputy Director of Planning, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
Tiffany Wright
Partner, Remy, Moose & Manley
Damon Davis
Land Development/Transportation Specialist, County of San Diego
Moderator
Matt Burris
Conference Co-Chairs
UCLA Extension extends gratitude to the Land Use Law & Planning Conference Co-Chairs.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |

Public Policy at UCLA Extension
For over 26 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.