Category: Environmental Law Category: Environmental Law (show less)

Four California Supreme Court decisions in the past five years have established new standards for evaluating the adequacy of environmental documents under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). From the hybrid fair argument/substantial evidence standard of Berkeley Hillside Preservation, to the heightened scrutiny under the substantial evidence standard in Newhall Ranch, the application of the fair argument standard to subsequent environmental review in Friends of the College of San Mateo Gardens, and the distinctions between the de novo standard and the substantial evidence standard articulated in Friant Ranch, the Court has upended traditional thinking about how CEQA’s standards of review work. Leading CEQA experts will discuss the Court’s decisions, how they apply in practice, and what they mean for the future.