Holly A. Roberson, Shareholder
Holly represents government entities, including sovereign Native American governments, State Agencies, Cities, Counties, Water Districts, and Special Districts, in the areas of tribal law, natural resources law, and water law. Her practice focuses on environmental law and policy, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) land use, water, climate change, tribal cultural resources protection, and renewable energy.
Holly has experience working with environmental laws on the national, state, and local level. She possesses special expertise in tribal cultural resources, CEQA (AB 52), water and land use, TCR protection, and NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA compliance. Her work on behalf of several Native American tribes has included consultation, facilitation, mediation, and negotiation. While Holly focuses on building strong relationships and peaceful resolution of legal concerns, Kronick’s strong litigation team can also support tribal clients in court when necessary. She regularly provides technical assistance and training to large and small public agencies, the private sector, and Tribal Governments throughout the state.
Prior to joining the firm, Holly served as Land Use Counsel at the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). At OPR, she led the CEQA Guidelines update on tribal cultural resources in the General Plan Guidelines, military land use compatibility planning, infill streamlining, utility-scale solar siting, complex mediation, drought issues, and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Previous to that appointment, Holly worked at a large AmLaw 100 international law firm and a prominent boutique law firm specializing in CEQA.
Legal Experience
Holly performs a variety of legal services for both public and private sector clients, including in-depth legal research and analysis, regulatory compliance assistance, and litigation.
Specific areas of Holly’s expertise include:
- Agency Representation
- California Environmental Quality Act
- Climate Change
- Consultation with California Native American Tribal Governments
- Endangered Species Act (Federal and State)
- Recycled Water
- Regulatory Permitting
- Riparian Rights Determination
- Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
- Water Rights
- Water Transfers
- Zoning Changes and Subdivision Map Act Approvals
While in law school, Holly externed at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Energy Commission, and the Environmental Section of the Office of the California Attorney General.
Before law school, Holly worked as a Clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. She organized the Committee’s hearings on all aspects of energy development on public lands, including its first-ever hearings on climate change, and worked on the successful passage of reforms to the Mining Act of 1872.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
- The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law & Water Law (2023-2024)
- Northern California Super Lawyer, Rising Star (2019-2022)
- Member, Executive Committee, Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association
- Member, Legal Affairs Committee, Association of California Water Agencies
- Member, Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment
- Member, California Association of Environmental Professionals
- Member, California Rural Water Association
- Member, Environmental Law Section of the State Bar
- Member, Legislation Committee for the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar
- Member, Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- California State Bar #284074
Academic Background
J.D. University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2011
- Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law
- Board Member, Ecology Law Quarterly
- Research Assistant, Prof. Rick Frank
- Co-Founder, Students for Environmental and Economic Justice
- Conference Organizer, Water Law Symposium
- Recipient of the Presidential Management Fellowship
B.A. University of California, Berkeley, 2005
- Cum Laude
- Bachelor of Arts in International Area Studies
- Honors Alumni Scholar
- Director of the Democratic Education at Cal (De-Cal) Program
- P.E.O. Merit Scholar
- Mildred Jordan Sharp Academic and Leadership Scholar
- Dean’s List 2000-2004
-
Overview
Phone: (916) 321-4517 | Email: hroberson@kmtg.comAreas of Practice
Newsroom
- California Department of Water Resources/State Water Project
- State Water Resources Control Board/Regional Water Quality Control Boards
- Bureau of Reclamation/Central Valley Project
- Fish and Wildlife Resource Agencies
- Delta Stewardship Council
- California Water Commission
- Delta Conservancy
- Regional and Local Water Districts
- CPUC-regulated Water Districts
- Clean Water Act
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act
- Endangered Species Acts – State and Federal
- Environmental Review Laws – State and Federal
- Delta Reform Act
Speaking Engagements
10.22.2023
|Speaking Engagement
|Blockbuster Case Law Update: Recent Tribal Environmental Law Cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit, and Southern District of California Relevant to Your Practice
Date
Sunday, October 22nd
Location
Yosemite, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick is pleased to again sponsor the California Lawyer Association’s Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite on October 19-22, 2023.
Shareholder Holly Roberson will moderate a panel discussion about three recent cases of great importance to water users in California, Tribal Nations, and anyone interested in water rights, sovereignty, or the complex inter-relationship between environmental law, land use, environmental quality enforcement, natural resources law, and tribal law. They will explore the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court case Arizona v. Navajo Nation, the 2022 Ninth Circuit case Klamath Irrigation District v. United States Bureau of Reclamation (Cert. pending), and the 2022 Southern District of California case Rincon Mushroom Corp. v. Mazzetti.
10.03.2023
|Speaking Engagement
|Klamath River Basin Management
Date
October 2-3
Location
Rohnert Park
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick is pleased to sponsor the California Indian Law Association‘s Annual Conference on October 2-3. Shareholder Holly Roberson will participate in a panel discussion on “Klamath River Basin Management.” This conference explores legal topics of vital interest to California tribes and California Indian law practitioners, this year’s theme is “Protecting Tribal Resources.” To learn more and to register, please visit the event website.
09.18.2023
|Speaking Engagement
|Indigenous and Agency Perspectives on Best Practices for Tribal Consultation Under CEQA
Date
September 18, 2023
Location
Fresno, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick Shareholder Holly Roberson will participate in a panel discussion at the APA California 2023 Conference, “Planning at the Crossroads” from September 16-19, 2023 in Fresno, California. The session will have three main components all centering around AB 52 tribal consultation under CEQA: 1) Provide the legal landscape for tribal consultation (AB 52, SB 18, Executive Orders, recent White House guidance, etc) 2) Discuss some best practices and examples for successful tribal consultation under CEQA 3) Review existing resources for practitioners.
04.11.2023
|Speaking Engagement
|California Tribal Water Summit
Date
April 11-13
Location
Sacramento
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick is proud to sponsor the California Tribal Water Summit on April 11-13 in Sacramento. This is a convening of Tribal, State, and Federal leaders to discuss water issues and strategies towards watershed resilience of California’s sacred waters. Participants will help inform State water policy and advance issues of equity, access and incorporation of Tribal Ecological Knowledge in the California Water Plan. For general questions contact: TribalWaterSummit@water.ca.gov; to register please visit the event website.
07.29.2022
|Speaking Engagement
|Groundwater Sustainability Implementation in California
Date
July 28-29
Location
Virtual
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick Shareholders Eric Robinson and Holly Roberson will present at the virtual Groundwater Sustainability Implementation in California conference. Eric will provide opening remarks as Program Co-Chair as well as participate in the discussion “Lessons for Water Masters from Implementation of Existing Pre and Post SGMA Adjudications.” Holly will discuss “Sovereign-to-Sovereign Tribal Consultation During the Implementation Phase for GSPs.” For more information or to register, please visit the event website.
11.18.2021
|Speaking Engagement
|Tribal Consultation: A Primer on Tribal Consultation under CEQA and SB 35
Date
November 18
Location
Virtual
Related Practices/Industries
The Argent Communications Group’s California Land Use Law & Policy Conference, “Land Use Law, Policy and Planning 2021: The Housing Crisis, CEQA, Environmental Justice and Tribal Consultations,” is a one-day virtual event focused on land use law and policy shifts that may impact your practice, municipality or organization. Shareholder Holly Roberson will present on “The Developer Counsel Perspective.” For more information and to register, please visit the event website.
11.05.2021
|Speaking Engagement
|Groundwater Sustainability Implementation in California
Date
November 4-5
Location
Virtual
Related Practices/Industries
Kronick Shareholders Eric Robinson and Holly Roberson will present at the virtual Groundwater Sustainability Implementation in California conference. Eric will provide opening remarks as Program Co-Chair as well as participate in a discussion about “Groundwater Shortages: Managing the Tension Between Allocations, Production Rampdowns, and Water Right Claims by Competing Pumpers.” Holly will discuss “Sovereign-to-Sovereign Tribal Consultation Issues and Environmental/Economic Justice Considerations in Development of GSPs.” For more information or to register, please visit the event website.
04.16.2021
|Speaking Engagement
|CEQA & Underserved Communities
DATE
Friday, April 16
LOCATION
Virtual
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
Kronick Shareholder Holly Roberson is participating in a panel at the April 16th conference, “CEQA at 50: Assessing the History & Charting the Future of the California Environmental Quality Act,” organized by Prof. Rick Frank and hosted by the UC Davis School of Law, California Environmental Law & Policy Center. Ms. Roberson’s panel session will focus on CEQA and its effects on underserved communities, specifically the “Ongoing Evolution of Tribal Cultural Resources and Equity Issues in CEQA.” She will share her insight on what the future holds for tribal consultation and tribal cultural resources issues in CEQA, and what CEQA practitioners should consider when working on projects that involve tribal cultural resources. For more information and to register, please visit the event website.
10.19.2020
|Speaking Engagement
|Tribal Water in California
DATE
October 19 & 20
LOCATION
Virtual
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
At the upcoming Law Seminars International seminar, Kronick Shareholder Holly Roberson will provide an update on the State implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the impact on Tribes and discuss the basics of Tribal Consultations, such as when federal agencies are involved and the most effective approaches from a best practice standpoint.
07.16.2020
|Speaking Engagement
|The Need for Consultation with Tribal Governments as Sovereign Nations in GSP Development and Tips for Reaching Win-Win Solutions
DATE
July 16 & 17
LOCATION
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
At the upcoming Law Seminars International seminar, Kronick Shareholder Holly Roberson will discuss federally reserved rights as senior rights; consultation requirements and how they differ from stakeholder participation; addressing Tribal concerns about sharing pumping and aquifer management data; tips for effective consultation and reaching solutions.
07.15.2020
|Speaking Engagement
|Legal Career Paths During Covid-19: Private Practice Perspectives
Date
July 15
Location
via webinar
Related Practices/Industries
Overview
Shareholder Holly Roberson joins a panel discussion series presented by the Environmental Law Section, California Lawyers Association. In this fifth installment, practitioners from the private sector discuss how law firms are being affected by COVID-19 and what students and practitioners should do to navigate through these times. For more information and to register, please visit the event website.
12.12.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|California Environmental Quality Act: The Year in Review
DATE
December 12
LOCATION
San Francisco, CA
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
2019 has been another amazing year for CEQA law, policy, and practice! For its 15th year, CLE International’s CEQA conference features an outstanding faculty of CEQA attorneys, planners, and experts to provide you with the latest CEQA developments, trends, debates, and practice advice. Kronick Associate Holly Roberson will participate on a panel that discusses AB 52 Tribal Consultation Implementation.
09.13.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Emerging Importance of Equity in California Environmental Law and Policy
Date
September 13, 2019
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Overview
Kronick attorney Holly Roberson will moderate in a panel that will introduce the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion to give all conference attendees a shared baseline for understanding these principles. It will then consider the emergence of equity as an increasingly important touchstone for California environmental policy making in recent years. By considering the (imperfect) pursuit of equity both in high-level lawmaking and in on-the-ground implementation in California, panelists will further develop ideas about meaningful ways to reflect equity in environmental law.
Registration
Please visit the event website for more information and to register.
07.25.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Sustainable Groundwater Planning in California
DATE
July 25 & 26, 2019
LOCATION
Sacramento, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Overview
Kronick attorneys Eric Robinson, Holly Roberson and Constantine Baranoff will present at the Sustainable Groundwater in California conference in Sacramento. Eric will provide opening remarks as Program Co-Chair as well as participate in a discussion about conjunctive management of groundwater interconnected with surface streams as a practical approach for achieving resilient and sustainable water supplies. Constantine’s presentation will discuss propositions 26 and 218 and other constraints, tips for identifying the optimal funding structures for initial GSP development and GSP implementation activities. Holly will discuss federally reserved water rights; consultation requirements; effective consultation; reasons why Tribes may be reluctant to participate in a GSA or share pumping and aquifer management data; confidentiality; practical tips for addressing those concerns. For more information or to register, please visit the event website.
05.02.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Tribal Government and Local Government Collaboration for Protection of Tribal Cultural Resources Under CEQA (AB52)
Date
May 2
Location
Sacramento, CA
Related Practices/Industries
OVERVIEW
At the Sacramento County Bar Association‘s Public & Environmental Law Section Joint MCLE Luncheon, Holly Roberson will be participating in a panel discussion about the legal requirements for consultation regarding Tribal Cultural Resources during CEQA (AB 52).
04.23.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Never a Dry Class: Thinking About Drought During a Wet Year
Date
Tuesday, April 23rd
Location
South Lake Tahoe, NV
Related Practices/Industries
Overview
Kronick is proud to sponsor and exhibit at the California Rural Water Association’s EXPO which provides training, technical assistance, resources and information to assist water and wastewater utilities in achieving high standards of service. Kronick attorney Holly Roberson will be participating in a Drought 101 panel discussion.
02.07.2019
|Speaking Engagement
|Legal and Institutional Management Framework
DATE: Thursday, February 7
Related Practices/Industries
ORGANIZED BY:
Water Education Foundation
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Kronick attorney Holly Roberson will be presenting on “Legal and Institutional Management Framework ” at Water 101 Workshop on February 7 at McGeorge. The workshop covers the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics currently facing the state. Holly will cover include:
Water Management Institutions
Summary of Governing Laws
REGISTRATION:
Please visit the event website for more information.
07.27.2018
|Speaking Engagement
|Sustainable Groundwater Planning in California
DATE:
July 26-27, 2018
LOCATION:
Sacramento, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Organized By:
Law Seminars International (LSI)
Program Overview:
Kronick attorneys Scott Morris, Jonathan Christy and Holly Roberson will present at the Sustainable Groundwater Planning conference in Sacramento on July 26-27.
Scott will provide opening remarks as Program Co-Chair and participate in a panel discussion about “Cross-Boundary Flows and Basin Coordination” discussing the legal issues around coordination challenges and issues (a) within a groundwater basin, (b) with adjacent basins, and (c) when an adjacent basin is on the critical list and yours is not; essential terms for coordinating agreements.
Jonathan’s presentation will discuss financing options and strategies for GSA/GSP and what GSP developers and stakeholders need to know about constraints and viable pathways.
Holly’s panel will discuss legal parameters for working with Tribes as sovereigns, including requirements for Tribal consultation.
Registration:
Please visit the event website for more information and to register.
05.04.2018
|Speaking Engagement
|The Sovereign Next Door: California Native American Tribal Governments 101
Related Practices/Industries
Program Overview:
Kronick is pleased to sponsor the League of California Cities City Attorneys’ Spring Conference in San Diego. This conference provides training on cutting-edge issues in municipal law, including comprehensive updates on litigation affecting cities.
Holly Roberson will be presenting at the conference, discussing the history and modern reality of sovereign California Native American Tribal Governments and what that means for Cities, including opportunities for Government to Government collaboration such as economic development, water, and land use, as well as how to engage effectively, legal requirements for consultation regarding Tribal Cultural Resources during CEQA (AB 52), General Plan Updates (SB 18) or projects with a federal nexus (Section 106).
Registration:
Please visit the event website for more information and to register.
02.05.2018
|Speaking Engagement
|Sustainable Groundwater Planning
Date:
February 5-6
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Law Seminars International (LSI)
Overview:
Kronick Shareholders Constantine Baranoff, Jon Cristy, Scott Morris and Holly Roberson will present at the Sustainable Groundwater in California conference in Sacramento on February 5-6. Scott will provide opening remarks as Program Co-Chair. Constantine and Jon’s presentation will discuss financing options and strategies for GSP development, including perspectives on whether it is possible, or desirable to try to structure initial planning to avoid falling under Proposition 218 as well as anticipating rate setting issues under Propositions 26 and 21. Holly will discuss working with Tribes as Sovereigns as opposed to stakeholders including legal parameters and requirements for Tribal consultation.
For more information or to register, please visit the event website.
10.27.2017
|Speaking Engagement
|State Groundwater Management Act Boundary Modifications
Date:
Friday, October 27
Location:
Valley Center, California
Related Practices/Industries
Sponsored By:
Law Seminars International (LSI)
Program Overview:
Kronick attorney Holly Roberson will present at LSI’s Tribal Water Law in California Conference on Friday, October 27 in Southern California. She will discuss SGMA Boundary Modifications – determining what you will need to prove; identifying the best available evidence and what studies you’ll need to do; conflict of law issues between state and federal law; other factors to consider
Registration:
Please visit LSI’s website for more information and to register.