Sacramento 916.520.5385
Assistant Information
Becky Lutman
Phone 916.520.5417
Email
Education
- J.D., with distinction, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2015
- B.A., Linguistics, University of California at Davis, 2012
Bar Admissions
- California, 2015
Court Admissions
- United States District Court, Northern District of California
Brenda C. Bass
Senior Associate
Brenda Bass advises public agency and private clients on environmental review requirements, as well as applying for and complying with water quality permits. She is also experienced in litigating CEQA and groundwater quality issues for clients throughout California.
Brenda assists clients in defending against Clean Water Act violation demand letters and litigation, in addition to counseling clients on compliance with state and federal laws governing stormwater and wastewater quality. She also assists agricultural enterprises in complying with rapidly changing irrigation discharge regulations.
Prior to joining Downey Brand, Brenda practiced at a California boutique environmental firm. She also externed for a bankruptcy judge in Sacramento, giving her an insider experience in federal litigation.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Association of Sanitation Agencies
Honors & Rankings
- Externship, Judge Ronald Sargis, United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California, 2014
- Roger J. Traynor Honor Society
- McGeorge Law Review, Primary Editor, 2014-2015
- Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Patent Law, 2015
- Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Bankruptcy Law, 2014
- Represented public agencies in complex, multiparty CEQA litigation over a large-scale water resource project.
- Defended local agencies against CEQA lawsuits aimed at stopping local public works projects.
- Defended and settled Clean Water Act violation allegations for winemakers and other industrial stormwater permittees, avoiding or reducing penalty exposure for the client.
- Commented on water quality control plans establishing new water quality objectives for salt, bacteria, and other constituents.
- Commented on regulations governing environmental laboratory accreditation standards.
- Advised out-of-state manufacturer on Proposition 65 labeling requirements.
Announcements
1 related itemsBlogs
4 related items-
May 3, 2021Properly Posting Notice of Determination Triggers Short CEQA Statute of Limitations Despite Not Providing the Notice to Petitioner as Requested
CEQA Chronicles -
August 3, 2020Agency Email Correspondence Must be Retained Under CEQA, Appeals Court Holds
CEQA Chronicles -
April 23, 2020To VMT or not to VMT? Third District Says Level of Service No Longer Valid to Measure Traffic Impacts, But Use of Vehicle Miles Traveled is Not Yet Required
CEQA Chronicles -
April 8, 2020COVID-19 Alert: Judicial Council Issues Sweeping Emergency Rules; Local Agencies Issue Regional Changes
CEQA Chronicles
Legal Alerts
4 related items-
August 17, 2021State Water Board Issues Emergency Regulations for Curtailments in Delta Watershed
Water Law -
March 5, 2021Proposed “California Clean Water Act” (AB 377) Would Restrict Ability to Secure Schedules of Compliance in Water Quality Permits or Other Water Quality-Related Orders
Water Quality Law -
April 24, 2020Clean Water Act Permits Now Required When a Point Source Discharge Through Groundwater is the “Functional Equivalent” of a Direct Discharge to Navigable Waters
Water Quality Law -
March 20, 2020Compliance with Water Board Requirements During the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Emergency
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEnvironmental Law
Publications
2 related items-
June 2021California Court of Appeal Upholds Multimillion-Dollar Penalty Against Homeowner Blocking Public Access to the Coast
Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, Volume 1, Number 9 -
June 2020U.S. Supreme Court’s New Discharge to Groundwater Decision is County of Maui Raises More Questions than it Answers
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 30, Number 9
Outside of the office, Brenda enjoys a regular yoga practice and finding picturesque trails to hike and photograph.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
- California Association of Sanitation Agencies
Honors & Rankings
- Externship, Judge Ronald Sargis, United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California, 2014
- Roger J. Traynor Honor Society
- McGeorge Law Review, Primary Editor, 2014-2015
- Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Patent Law, 2015
- Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Bankruptcy Law, 2014