Jamie B. Jefferson
Partner
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- (415) 228-5490
- (415) 228-5400
- (415) 228-5450
PRACTICE AREAS
Environmental Litigation
- Citizen Suits
- Cost Recovery and Allocation
- State and Federal Enforcement Actions
- Toxic Tort Litigation
- Groundwater Contamination
Environmental Compliance
- Solid and Hazardous Waste
- Water Quality
- Air Quality and Climate Change
- Regulatory and Administrative Proceedings
- Contaminated Site Investigation, Remediation, and Development
- Environmental Regulation of Consumer Products
Land Use, Development, and Natural Resources
Jamie Jefferson is a partner with Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp, LLP.
Jamie brings extensive experience litigating under CERCLA, RCRA, the California Hazardous Waste Control Law, CEQA, NEPA, and Prop 65 to the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Jamie worked as a Deputy Attorney General in the environment section of the California Department of Justice for 19 years. In that role, Jamie represented state agencies in enforcement actions and defended state agencies, including DTSC, OEHHA, and CARB. Most recently, Jamie led multi-state litigation for the State of California challenging federal agency actions arising under NEPA, the ESA, EPCA, and the APA.
Prior to working for the State, Jamie co-founded an environmental law firm focusing on representing citizens groups in environmental litigation against the federal government. Jamie began her career at an Oakland law firm representing real estate clients.
I grew up in urban Los Angeles, but was always drawn to natural spaces such as the nearby Santa Monica mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Originally, I focused my career in environmental law out of a desire to protect cherished natural spaces and safeguard the planet. While I have litigated for almost twenty years, as my career has evolved, I have developed more interest in helping clients make wise use of natural resources, develop sustainable practices, and comply with a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Environmental law is fascinating because being effective requires continual learning as the regulatory and legal environment evolves to keep pace with scientific and technical breakthroughs.
WHERE THE LAW AND ENVIRONMENT INTERSECT
- Representing private parties and state agencies, such as DTSC, OEHHA, and CARB, in enforcement actions, litigation and/or administrative proceedings under the Clean Air Act, CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and state laws
- Advising companies on water rights issues, including new sources of rights, groundwater rights and representing California agricultural growers in first of its kind, multi-phase SGMA adjudication in the Southern California
- Prosecuting and defending citizen suit claims under federal and state environmental law, including RCRA, Clean Water Act, NEPA, CEQA, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), and Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65)
- Representing and defending state agencies in cases involving soil and groundwater contamination in toxic tort and property damage cases
- Representing the State of California in multi-state litigation against federal agencies challenging regulatory changes as violating federal laws, including against Department of Energy, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Federal Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration
- Counseling state agencies on compliance with federal, state and local environmental and related laws and regulations, including the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, CEQA, Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substance Account Act (HSAA), Hazardous Waste Control Law, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA, Endangered Species Act (ESA), NEPA, and common law. For example, I counseled CARB on CEQA compliance for its low carbon fuel standard; DTSC on CEQA compliance for its Safer Consumer Products regulations, California Department of Fish and Wildlife on CEQA compliance regarding climate change element of EIR for Southern California mega-city housing project, and the Native American Heritage Commission on a CEQA challenge to a County’s approval of siting of solar installation affecting tribal lands
- Key cases: People of State of Cal. v. U.S. Department of Transportation, 260 F. Supp. 2d 969 (N.D. Cal. 2003) (EIR required for airport expansion under NEPA); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. Perry, 940 F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2019) (DOE had a non-discretionary duty to publish delayed energy efficiency standards undergoing error review process); State of California, et al. v. Council on Environmental Quality, No. 3:2020-cv-06057 (N.D. Cal. August 28, 2020) (lead counsel for State of California in challenge to CEQ’s overhaul of NEPA regulations)
EDUCATION
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 1998
- Graduate of Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at UCLA School of Law
University of California, Berkeley, B.A., Political Science, 1994
- Phi Beta Kappa (elected to membership 1994)
COMMUNITY | OFF HOURS
- Jamie is currently a court-appointed special advocate (a “CASA”) for a foster youth in the dependency care system working with the non-profit advocacy organization, SF CASA.
- Jamie is a UCLA School of Law alumni mentor, formerly on the board of the Special Education and Enrichment Development Foundation in Lafayette, and formerly on the board of Aurora School in Oakland.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Bar Association of San Francisco, prior membership in National Association of Attorneys General
BAR MEMBERSHIP
State Bar of California
State Bar of Oregon
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit