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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP

@smwlaw.bsky.social
19 followers 23 following 153 posts

Since 1980 we have specialized in government, land use, renewable energy, and environmental law. We provide public agencies, non-profits, tribes, and community groups with the highest quality legal representation, offering an array of services. smwlaw.com

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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
SMW Of Counsel Richard Taylor joined The Martis Fund’s 20th anniversary celebration. Since 2006, the Fund has raised $40M+ for open space, habitat restoration, and workforce housing through a settlement involving Sierra Watch and Mountain Area Preservation.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
IREC’s latest Freeing the Grid report warns that outdated state regulations are slowing distributed energy connections. Updates in New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, and New Mexico show how modern policies can streamline deployment and help address rising energy costs. tr.ee/ddknWK
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The Trump administration has rescinded the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, removing habitat destruction from the definition of illegal “take.” Stanford scholars Deborah Sivas and Rodolfo Dirzo warn the change could leave habitat-dependent species more vulnerable.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Beyond SMW, Andrew Schwartz teaches at Yale Law School’s Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic, training the next generation of environmental lawyers in litigation skills and environmental justice advocacy. SMW Fellow Emma Lewis also supports the clinic’s students on active matters.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
In Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA, the Ninth Circuit ruled that EPA cannot consider economic or technological feasibility when evaluating state contingency measures under the Clean Air Act. The case involved air pollution controls in California’s San Joaquin Valley. tr.ee/qFTxsN
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
SMW Of Counsel Rachel Hooper and husband Peter joined an Oakland rally supporting SB 954, which would roll back last year’s CEQA exemption for “advanced manufacturing” projects. Led by CBE, the rally urged Assembly Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks to support the bill.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Congrats to SMW attorneys Rachel B. Hooper, Fran M. Layton, Deborah Miller, Robert “Perl” Perlmutter, Richard S. Taylor, and William J. White on being recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®. Lauren Tarpey was also named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
California Forever is lobbying for legislation to fast-track environmental reviews and land annexation for its proposed Bay Area development. Critics question the project’s limited details and warn of environmental risks from converting farmland to industrial use. www.latimes.com/california/s...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Unresolved property title defects can derail public projects. In this guide, SMW attorney Caitlin Brown explains how California public agencies can use “quiet title” lawsuits to resolve competing claims and establish clear ownership. www.smwlaw.com/2026/06/24/q...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
After a 14-year legal battle, Keep Tahoe Blue and Sierra Watch reached a landmark settlement with Alterra Mountain Company and Palisades Tahoe to scale back development for 25 years and permanently protect sensitive Shirley Canyon parcels as open space. www.sierrawatch.org/landmark-agr...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Huge thanks to our volunteers and Alemany Farm for a successful Volunteer Day! 🌱 The 3.5-acre organic farm provides fresh produce for free to local neighbors, volunteers, and community food security organizations.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
SMW is accepting applications for our Fall 2027 Fellowship Program! The program has a strong track record of launching public-interest and environmental legal careers. Apply by September 1, 2026. www.smwlaw.com/apply-for-fe...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
San Francisco Baykeeper has sued the California State Lands Commission over its approval of 10-year San Francisco Bay sand mining leases, alleging CEQA and public trust violations. SMW attorneys Perl Perlmutter and Orran Balagopalan represent Baykeeper. www.smwlaw.com/2026/06/17/s...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
HCD has released resources to help local governments navigate California’s complex housing laws, including SB 79 advisory memos and a primer on transit-oriented development. www.smwlaw.com/2026/06/24/h...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
SMW’s Deborah Miller and Marlene Dehlinger recently toured Recology’s Vernalis composting facility with client Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, learning how organic material becomes high-quality compost.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Law students: Applications are open for SMW’s Spring 2027 part-time clerkship program! Second- and third-year students can gain hands-on experience, work closely with attorneys, and engage in client meetings and legal hearings. Apply by October 1, 2026. www.smwlaw.com/apply-for-cl...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Photos from this year’s Northwest Land Camp! Andrew Miller presented on Title Review: Tools, Tips, and Legal Insights for Conservation, while Aidan Freeman enjoyed some post-conference fishing and foraging for salmonberries.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
SMW attorneys Rachel Hooper, Kevin Bundy, Susannah French, Tori Gibbons, and Heather Minner received the 2026 CLAY Award from The Daily Journal for their CEQA lawsuit. The team challenged Kern County’s permitting of thousands of oil and gas wells without adequate environmental review.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Two California courts have ruled against the city of Santee and developer HomeFed, halting the proposed Fanita Ranch housing development northeast of San Diego. The rulings favor environmental groups challenging the 2,600-acre, 3,000-unit project, which is located in a high-risk wildfire zone.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
After a 14-year dispute, SMW clients Keep Tahoe Blue and Sierra Watch reached a landmark settlement with Alterra Mountain Company to limit future development at Palisades Tahoe. The agreement cuts proposed bedrooms by 40%, commercial space by 20%, and eliminates an indoor waterpark.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Law students, do you have your next step figured out? Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP provides law students and recent graduates the opportunity to engage directly with complex land use, renewable energy, and environmental law matters alongside seasoned practitioners. www.smwlaw.com/legal-hiring/
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Members of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP recently attended the 55th Anniversary Banquet for UC Berkeley School of Law’s Ecology Law Quarterly (ELQ).
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
New statewide polling from the EnviroVoters Education Fund and David Binder Research finds that 74 percent of California voters want a governor who can ensure the state remains a model for climate justice and environmental transparency. envirovotersedfund.org/governors-ra...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Sara Clark, Partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, recently joined the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) for their Igniting Innovation policy briefing. Watch the full session at www.eesi.org/briefings/vi...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Southern California’s marine ecosystem is facing a severe crisis driven by record-high sea surface temperatures, which exacerbate the devastating effects of nutrient pollution from wastewater and agricultural runoff. www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
According to Ethan Elkind, Climate Program Director at UC Berkeley Law, even California’s climate policy has predominantly focused on incentivizing fossil fuel alternatives rather than directly confronting the fossil fuel corporations responsible for the emission. www.thenation.com/article/envi...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
A few firm members traveled to LA for the annual CalCities City Attorney conference. It was held in Universal City, right next to Universal Studios. We absorbed a *colossal* amount of information, and Emma Lewis and Mohamed Al-Shawaf visited the park one evening to meet the dinosaurs.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) reports that California’s bedrock environmental safeguards, particularly the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), are facing corporate-backed rollbacks. Find out more about how PCL and its allies are organizing. pcl.org/pcls-capital...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
A landmark agreement between conservation groups and developers has secured the permanent protection of the Jurupa Oak, a 13,000-year-old Palmer’s oak in Jurupa Valley that ranks as the oldest living plant in California. biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
A team of five Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger attorneys has won “California Lawyer Attorney of the Year” (CLAY) Awards from The Daily Journal for their work on a decade-long CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) case challenging for oil drilling in Kern County. www.smwlaw.com/2026/05/21/f...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
California regulators are developing guidelines for SB 1221, a pilot program to transition neighborhoods from natural gas to zero-emission alternatives. The approach could help utilities retire aging gas pipelines and reinvest savings in clean energy infrastructure.
legal-planet.org
California Has a Neighborhood Decarbonization Law. How Does It Work? - Legal Planet
By Sooji Yang, Lauren Dunlap, Elias van Emmerick, and Gregory Pierce The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is currently navigating a wide array of questions from stakeholders as it…
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
After 45 years in Hayes Valley, SMW has relocated to 550 California Street in San Francisco’s Financial District. The new office reflects the firm’s environmental values, with reclaimed local wood, repurposed furniture, and extensive indoor greenery.
smwlaw.com
A New Home for a Storied Practice
Associates Shanthi Chackalackal and Aidan Freeman in our new office  After more than four decades rooted in Hayes Valley, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP has a new address. In February 2026, our firm…
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law has launched a new webinar series exploring the long-term evolution of the oil and gas industry within a low-carbon economy. Interested participants may register at
docs.google.com
Registration: CLEE's Future of Oil and Gas Series
UC Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) has launched an initiative to examine future pathways for the oil and gas industry in a low-carbon world. As part of this project, CLEE…
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
SMW, representing IREC, successfully advocated for landmark transparency reforms before the Colorado PUC to streamline clean energy interconnection. The decision opens access to grid capacity data that can help advance solar and EV charging projects. www.smwlaw.com/2026/04/10/c...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The CPUC approved a final plan to move a proposed LS Power energy facility from Coyote Valley to the existing Metcalf substation, helping protect the Coyote Creek wildlife corridor. SMW represented the Santa Clara Open Space Authority, led by Ellison Folk. www.greenfoothills.org/good-news-no...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Stay informed on California’s evolving environmental and land-use policies. SMW attorneys regularly analyze key legal issues for public agencies, including the Surplus Land Act, ADUs, CEQA, and more. www.smwlaw.com/updatesandar...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California has regained 10,274 acres north of Lake Tahoe. The former Loyalton Ranch, now WélmeltiɁ Preserve, will be restored for long-term conservation, water protection, and wildlife habitat.
kolotv.com
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California secures ancestral land with plans of restoration and preservation
This is the largest tribal land return ever completed in the Sierra Nevada
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
The Trust for Public Land and East Bay Regional Park District secured an option to acquire former Golden Gate Fields, a 161-acre Albany-Berkeley waterfront site, with plans for a major public park on the SF Bay shoreline.
ebparks.org
Trust for Public Land Secures Option on Former Golden Gate Fields Site, Launching Effort in Partnership with East Bay Regional Park District to Transform 161-Acre Waterfront into Future East Bay Park
Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District, announced that it has secured an option agreement on the former Golden Gate Fields property in Albany/Berkeley,…
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
A recent statewide poll reveals that 64% of California voters are likely to withdraw support from lawmakers who approved environmental review exemptions for polluting industries near homes & schools. 72% of Californians expressed support for CEQA across party lines.
capitolweekly.net
Voters oppose advanced manufacturing CEQA exemptions - Capitol Weekly
OPINION - When lawmakers passed Senate Bill 131, exempting more than 75 categories of industrial facilities from California's landmark environmental review law, perhaps they assumed voters either…
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
SMW team members were “cover models” at Bay Nature’s 25th anniversary celebration at the Presidio’s Golden Gate Club. SMW attended and sponsored the event alongside clients including POST, Sonoma Land Trust, and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
A recent Congressional briefing hosted by EESI and FAS focused on urgent federal policy changes to address the growing wildfire crisis. Representing SMW, Sara Clark emphasized that traditional suppression is no longer enough & called for expanding the use of beneficial fire. fas.org/publication/...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
As we say goodbye to 396 Hayes, we’re also parting with an Irene Pijoan painting from our conference room, once accepted as partial payment in SMW’s early days. Now donated to the Crocker Art Museum, where it will return to a Sacramento audience.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
A whole trainload of SMWers headed to the California Council of Land Trusts conference in Sacramento. It was a great time!
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
At SMW, we align our legal practice with environmental integrity and social responsibility. We represent public agencies, tribes, and nonprofits on land use, sustainability, tribal law, and water rights. Explore our current openings: www.smwlaw.com/legal-hiring/
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
SMW recently sponsored the CLA Environmental Law Section’s annual negotiations competition. Many thanks to Mindy and Shasta for judging and developing the event's fact patterns. Fun fact: our very own Catherine was a participant in the inaugural 2000 competition!
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Hosting Capacity Analysis (HCA) can show where the grid can support new EV chargers without costly upgrades. But inconsistent, hard-to-access data is slowing progress—prompting calls for standards to speed the shift to electric transport. irecusa.org/blog/regulat...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
The 1922 Colorado River Compact is nearing a breaking point. A 26-year drought has pushed flows far below historic levels, and Lake Powell is approaching critical lows—exposing cracks in a system dividing Upper and Lower Basin states. www.hcn.org/articles/the...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Julie Dolinsek and Carmen Borg took the ferry to SMW’s new office together recently. Look at that skyline! Not a bad commute.
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
SF Baykeeper sued the CA State Lands Commission over 10-year sand mining leases, alleging CEQA and public trust violations. The permits allow 1.75M cubic yards/year—threatening shorelines and habitat. mavensnotebook.com/2026/03/14/p...
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Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP @smwlaw.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The CA Coastkeeper Alliance launched the Ocean Life Protection Project, targeting a hidden cause of marine die-offs: untreated urban sewage. They’re calling for urgent action—strong water quality standards and modern infrastructure to protect ocean life.
cacoastkeeper.org
Ocean Life Protection Project
Treat wildlife better by treating our sewage better
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