logo
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Firm
    • Our People
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Practice Areas
    • Environmental Law
    • Municipal & Public Agency Law
    • Clean Energy Law
    • Local Ballot Measures
    • Tribal Law
    • Litigation & Appeals
  • News
    • Updates and Articles
    • Where We Work
  • Legal Hiring
  • Contact Us
Search For

415-552-7272

logo
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Firm
    • Our People
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Practice Areas
    • Environmental Law
    • Municipal & Public Agency Law
    • Clean Energy Law
    • Local Ballot Measures
    • Tribal Law
    • Litigation & Appeals
  • News
    • Updates and Articles
    • Where We Work
  • Legal Hiring
  • Contact Us
Search For

415-552-7272

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Firm
    • Our People
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Practice Areas
    • Environmental Law
    • Municipal & Public Agency Law
    • Clean Energy Law
    • Local Ballot Measures
    • Tribal Law
    • Litigation & Appeals
  • News
    • Updates and Articles
    • Where We Work
  • Legal Hiring
  • Contact Us
SM&W logo

Updates and Articles

Community Land Trusts: A Valuable Tool in Promoting Affordable Housing

Under California law, cities are required to identify opportunities to develop sufficient housing to meet the needs of residents of all income levels. However, many municipalities struggle to produce enough affordable housing. This article explores the role community land trusts can play in building and managing affordable housing.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateJanuary 18, 2024

Mitigating Vehicle Miles Traveled

In 2020, the methodology under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for evaluating transportation-related impacts changed from level of service (LOS) to vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This change has necessitated new strategies for mitigating those impacts. This article outlines several approaches lead agencies may consider to mitigate a project’s significant VMT-related impacts.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateJanuary 17, 2024

Holiday Cheer from Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger

As we say goodbye to 2023 and prepare to ring in the New Year, we’re feeling grateful for our wonderful clients and colleagues and for the opportunities we had this past year to do good work and support good causes. This year our firm made charitable contributions to numerous organizations whose work inspires us by advancing the causes of environmental justice, anti-racism, and empowerment work. Please scroll down to see a...

Read More
Firm NewsDecember 21, 2023

SMW Again Ranked Top Tier Nationally Among “Best Law Firms”

Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger has been named in the 2024 Best Law Firms® rankings by Best Lawyers, in several different categories. The firm has been named a highly prestigious National Tier 1 Best Law Firm in Land Use and Zoning Law. SMW was also named a Metropolitan Tier 1 Best Law Firm in San Francisco in Environmental Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, Environmental Litigation, and Land Use & Zoning Litigation. View...

Read More
Firm NewsNovember 2, 2023

Building Decarbonization Update: Local Governments in California Consider Strategies to Reduce Natural Gas Use in Buildings

Following up on the October 2019 and February 2020 editions of In the Public Interest, this article provides an update regarding strategies proposed by several cities and counties to encourage or require existing buildings to go all-electric.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateOctober 30, 2023

October 2023 Update Re: Local Governments on High Alert as New Statewide Ballot Measure Seeks to Restrict State and Local Revenue

A statewide initiative seeking to further restrict the ability of state and local governments to raise public funds through fees and taxes is ready to appear on the November 2024 ballot. Given the potential dire consequences of this measure, many local governments are taking actions now to address it.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateOctober 30, 2023

Mid-Cycle 2022 CALGreen Building Code Update Re: Changes Coming in 2023 to State Energy Code and Green Building Standards

California Building Standards Commission adopts updates to electric vehicle charging requirements for new multifamily buildings Since we first wrote about the latest Energy Code and energy-related CALGreen updates that went into effect statewide in January 2023, some additional important updates have been made to CALGreen. Following this regular triannual update, the California Building Standards Commission recently...

Read More
Our Work, Public Agency UpdateOctober 30, 2023

Navigating Bid Protests: Essential Tips for California Government Agencies

Introduction Procurement processes are essential to the proper administration of government agencies, ensuring they acquire goods and services efficiently and cost-effectively. This article explores essential tips for California government agencies dealing with bid protests in competitively bid public works projects, offering guidance on how to navigate the intricacies of the process. Power to Contract Competitive...

Read More
Public Agency UpdateOctober 17, 2023

Tribes, Agencies, Other Experts Collaborate on Wildfire Mitigation Strategies

From the deadly conflagration in Hawaii to the toxic smoke blanketing the East Coast, this year’s wildland fires have driven home the reality that wildfires are a huge and growing threat. In response to this national crisis, in 2021 President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which has just released its final report.

Read More
Our WorkOctober 6, 2023

Putting the Action Back in CAPs: Best Practices for Updating Climate Action Plans to Align With Statewide Climate Goals

Climate Action Plans are critical to addressing climate change, but many are overdue for an update. With new comprehensive guidance from the California Air Resources Board, there’s no time like the present.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateJune 26, 2023

City of Half Moon Bay Launches Civilian-Response Model for Mental Health Emergencies

Public agencies across the nation have spent the last few years re-examining policing and public safety models. SMW client City of Half Moon Bay is prioritizing improving mental health services as a key feature of its policing reform efforts. The city's mobile mental health response program, Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES), provides an alternative response to mental health-related 911 calls...

Read More
Public Agency UpdateApril 7, 2023

Based on Recently Passed SB 54, Local Governments May Consider Banning Certain Single-Use Foodware Items Before Year’s End

The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act may encourage local governments to ban certain single-use packaging and plastic food service ware materials before January 2024 to avoid its collection requirement.

Read More
Public Agency UpdateApril 7, 2023
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Search For

In the Public Interest

An e-newsletter from Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger offering timely legal news and analysis for public agencies.

Categories

  • Accomplishments
  • Firm News
  • Our Work
  • Press Release
  • Public Agency Update
  • Uncategorized

Tags

Additional Environmental Law Expertise Antitrust CEQA & NEPA City Attorney & General Counsel Services Clean Energy Law Climate Change & Air Quality Constitutional Law Diversity Equity & Inclusion Environmental Justice Environmental Law Housing Land Trusts & Natural Resource Conservation Land Use Planning & Zoning Litigation & Appeals Local Ballot Measures - Drafting Local Ballot Measures - Litigation Municipal & Public Agency Law Municipal Finance Parks & Recreation Planning & Project Management Services Public Contracting Public Trust and Coasts & Waters Real Estate Transactions & Eminent Domain Recycling & Waste Management Regulatory Takings Renewable Energy Siting Proceedings SMW at 40 Transportation & Infrastructure Projects Tribal Law - Cultural Resource Protection Tribal Law - Tribal Jurisdiction & Governance
default logo

Counsel and representation in government, land use, renewable energy, and environmental legal matters for public agencies, non-profits, tribes, and community groups.

Quick Links

  • Our Firm
  • Our People
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • News
  • Legal Hiring
  • Contact Us
  • Celebrating 40 Years
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Opt-out preferences

Practice Areas

  • Environmental Law
  • Municipal and Public Agency Law
  • Clean Energy Law
  • Local Ballot Measures
  • Tribal Law
  • Litigation and Appeals

Office

Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP

396 Hayes Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

By Phone: (415) 552-7272

By Email: info@smwlaw.com

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
DEI Seal

© 2025 Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, All Rights Reserved

Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Preferences
{title} {title} {title}