Ms. Wright joined the firm in 2000 and became a partner in 2006. Ms. Wright represents public agencies and private applicants in a variety of land use and environmental law matters. Ms. Wright handles all phases of the land use entitlement and permitting processes, including administrative approvals and litigation. Her practice covers the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State Planning and Zoning Law, the Subdivision Map Act, the Williamson Act, the California Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal Endangered Species Act, and the federal Clean Water Act provisions associated with wetlands permitting.
Ms. Wright teaches several land use and environmental law continuing education classes and seminars each year for professional organizations such as the Association of Environmental Professionals and Law Seminars International. She also regularly speaks at conferences and meetings, such as conferences for the California Chapter of the American Planning Association, the California Association of Environmental Professionals, the League of California Cities, the County Counsels’ Association of California and the American Public Transportation Association.
Her clients and representative matters include:
- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for CEQA review of several transit and transportation projects including the Metro Crenshaw/LAX (K) Line, Regional Connector, Westside Purple Line Extension, West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, and the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, and the successful defense of several of those projects in CEQA and NEPA litigation.
- The City of Inglewood for the CEQA review of the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center (Intuit Dome) and the Inglewood Transit Connector Project
- Richland Communities for several large specific plan projects, including the Lincoln Village 5 Specific Plan, a 4,943-acre mixed-use development in western Placer County.
- The Port of Los Angeles for CEQA review of various projects to implement the Port’s Master Plan.
- Calaveras County and Tuolumne County in the updates of their general plans.
Published Cases
- Ocean Street Extension Neighborhood Assn. v. City of Santa Cruz (2021) 73 Cal.App.5th 985.
- Sierra Club v. County of Fresno (2018) 6 Cal.5th 502.
- Neighbors for Smart Rail v. Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority (2013) 57 Cal.4th 439.
- Japanese Village, LLC v. Federal Transit Administration, 843 F.3d 445 (9th Cir. 2016).
- Beverly Hills Unified School District v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 627.
- South County Citizens for Smart Growth v. County of Nevada (2013) 221 Cal.App.4th 316.
- Sustainable Transportation Advocates of Santa Barbara v. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 113.
- St. Vincent’s School for Boys, Catholic Charities CYO v. City of San Rafael (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 989.
- CalBeach Advocates v. City of Solana Beach (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 529.