Jessica is a land use, natural resources, and environmental litigator who has handled cases covering a wide range of issues regarding large-scale project development. She helps clients address environmental issues related to energy, water, transportation, infrastructure, and other development projects. Jessica advises on a full range of transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters, with a particular focus on issues arising under the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the California Environmental Quality Act, state and federal endangered species acts, and other environmental impact assessment laws. She has worked for private-sector, public agency, tribal, and nonprofit clients on projects ranging from infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects to tribal gaming facilities.
An experienced litigator, Jessica has handled high-stakes litigation before the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and the Ninth Circuit, a number of federal district courts, and the California courts. Recent published cases include Olen Props. Corp. v. City of Newport Beach, 93 Cal. App.5th (Cal. Ct. App. 2023); National Parks Conservation Association v. Semonite, 916 F.3d 1075 (D.C. Cir. 2019); and City of Phoenix v. Huerta (D.C. Cir. 2017). She also has developed a focus on pretrial strategy and successfully resolved many complex cases through settlement, summary judgment, and dispositive relief in advance of trial. When pretrial resolution is not possible, Jessica takes pride in seeing the case through to trial and has second-chaired three state court trials.
As an enrolled and active member of the United Houma Nation, Jessica brings a unique perspective to her work and is acutely aware of the challenges facing tribal nations and those who do business with them. She has advised and supported tribal clients on complex matters involving tribal sovereignty and governance, government-to-government relations, tribal consultations, and business and economic development. Jessica has represented tribal interests in litigation involving tribal sovereign immunity, intratribal disputes, contract-related claims, and tribal jurisdictional issues. She also has assisted tribes in a number of regulatory proceedings, including the federal recognition (Part 83) process, treatment in a similar manner as a state under the Clean Water Act, the federal land acquisition process (aka fee-to-trust) for gaming and nongaming projects, and obtaining a reservation proclamation on behalf of a Southern California tribe. Jessica is proud to represent her own tribe in its application for federal recognition.
