Tina Thomas Honored with 2026 California Legal Awards ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Stoel Rives is pleased to announce that The Recorder and Law.com have named of counsel attorney Tina Thomas as a 2026 California Legal Awards “Lifetime Achievement Award” recipient. The award honors a person whose work over the course of a notable legal career has made a significant impact on the practice of law in California. The California Legal Awards winners and finalists will be recognized at an awards dinner in Los Angeles on June 24.

One of California’s most influential environmental and land use attorneys, Thomas has shaped the state’s environmental laws for over 40 years. Renowned for her expertise in navigating environmental and entitlement processes, she has proudly represented a broad spectrum of clients, including property owners, developers, governmental agencies, trade associations, and environmental organizations.

Thomas is a seasoned litigator who has argued matters before the California Supreme Court, California Appellate Courts, and Federal District Court, with extensive experience in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation. Her practice includes representing public agencies and project proponents in complex, high‑profile matters that have contributed to the development of CEQA jurisprudence.

Thomas is renowned as a principal author of the “Guide to the California Environmental Quality Act,” an authoritative reference on CEQA, first published in 1987 and widely used by courts and law schools. Tina worked with California’s legislature on CEQA reforms, notably the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375), and, in 2025, Governor Newsom appointed her to the Board of California’s Wildlife Conservation Board, where she was elected Vice Chair.

Thomas prioritizes pro bono service, focusing on nonprofits serving vulnerable communities. Her long-term pro bono clients include Loaves & Fishes, which she first represented in a 1997 lawsuit filed by the City of Sacramento demanding the charity stop serving food on Sundays. Thomas’s representation resulted in a settlement favorable to her client.

One of the few women attorneys in her field when she started her career, Thomas is dedicated to mentoring women and fostering career satisfaction and advancement. She mentors attorneys at Stoel Rives and through Women Lawyers of Sacramento and is a founding member of She Shares, a mentorship program and speaker series featuring trailblazing women leaders.

Thomas has been included in The Best Lawyers in America^® in Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, and Litigation—Land Use and Zoning since 2008, and in Super Lawyers, Northern California Super Lawyers^® in Environmental Law and Land Use/Zoning since 2005.