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Jenson Kathy Bio

M. Katherine Jenson

Of Counsel
Land Use and Entitlement
Orange County
(714) 641-3413
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Overview
Experience
News & Insights
Awards & Affiliations

Services

  • Land Use and Entitlement
  • Government and Regulatory
  • Affordable Housing and Economic Development
  • Land Use and Natural Resources
  • Municipal Law General and Special

Related Industries

  • Public Entities and Municipalities

Bar & Court Admissions

  • State Bar of California, 1983
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1991
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1984
  • U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, and Northern Districts of California

Education

  • Ohio State University, College of Law (J.D., 1983), summa cum laude; Class Rank: Upper 3% (5th of 209); Order of the Coif 1982-83 Issue Planning Editor Ohio State Law Journal; 1981-82 Staff Member, Ohio State Law Journal; Member of the Issue Planning Committee
  • Cleveland State University (B.A., 1980), Major: Political, summa cum laude
Overview
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Katherine Jenson is the Chair of the Land Use/Natural Resources Practice Group and her litigation practice focuses on the following areas: land use, CEQA, appeals, constitutional issues, property disputes, and contracts, representing numerous cities and private clients. She served as the City Attorney for La Quinta from June 2000 to June 2014. In May 2013, Kathy was named to The Daily Journal’s Annual List of 100 Leading Women Lawyers in California.

Experience
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Areas of Expertise
  • Environmental Law
  • Land Use
  • Public Law
  • AB 1234 Training
Published Cases
  • Mark Fudge v. City of Laguna Beach et al (2019) 32 Cal.App.5th 193
  • Del Cerro Mobile Estates v. City of Placentia et al. (2011) 197 Cal. App. 4th 173
  • California Earth Corps California State Lands Commission (2005) 128 Cal.App.4th 756
  • City of Long Beach v. Department of Industrial Relations (2004) 34 Cal.4th 942
  • Cantrell v. City of Long Beach, et al, (9th Cir. 2001) 241 F.3d 674
  • City of Vernon, et al. v. Board of Harbor Commissioners, et al. (1998) 63 Cal.App.4th 677
  • Clark v. City of Hermosa Beach (1996) 48 Cal.App.4th 1152
  • Burchett v. City of Newport Beach (1995) 33 Cal.App.4th 1472
  • Torres v. City of Yorba Linda (1993) 13 Cal.App.4th 1035
Unpublished Appellate Decisions
  • Joseph McVeigh v. City of La Quinta, et al, Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Two, Case No. E069020
  • Ventura Realty & Investment Company v. City of San Buenaventura et al., Second Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. One, Case No. B268132
  • Merced Citizens for Responsible Planning v. City of Merced, Fifth Dist. Court of Appeal Case No. F056076
  • Long Beach Council of Parents and Teachers, Inc. v. City of Long Beach, et al, Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three Case No. G040430
  • Stop Taking Our Parks, et al. v. City of Long Beach, Second Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. One, Case No. 13156347
  • Citizens of Orange Park Acres Coalition v. City of Orange, et al, Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three, Case No. G024841
  • Huell Howser v. City of Long Beach, Second Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Seven, Case No. B123336
  • Sierra Club v. City of Palm Springs, et al., Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Two, Case No. E023399
  • Huell Howser v. City of Long Beach, Ninth Circuit Case No. 98-55351
  • Friends of Coachella Valley v. County of Riverside, Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Two, Case No. B017901 (tentative opinion)
  • Ignacio Barajas, et al. v. City of Santa Ana and Orange County Register, Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three, Case No. G011307
  • Raphael Babay, et al. v. City of Lynwood, et al., Second Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Two, Civil No. B046883
  • Homer Croy, et al. v. Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company, et al., Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three, Case No. G008885
  • Eric Hexburg, et al. v. Superior Court of the State of California (Orange County), Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three, Case No. G006286
  • Cabrillo Land Company v. Soquel Creek Water District, Sixth Dist. Court of Appeal, Case No. H002002
  • Carlos Zambrano, et al. v. Superior Court of the State of California for Orange County (Fireside Thrift), Fourth Dist. Court of Appeal, Div. Three, Case No. G002370 
News & Insights
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August 20, 2020 | 17 Rutan & Tucker Attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021
June 15, 2017 | Land Use & Natural Resources Case Law Update First Quarter 2017
March 2, 2017 | Land Use & Natural Resources Case Law Update Fourth Quarter 2016
September 12, 2016 | Land Use & Natural Resources Second Quarter Case Law Update
June 10, 2014 | Law 360's Female Powerbrokers Q&A: Rutan & Tucker's Kathy Jenson
December 19, 2013 | Families In Need Assisted By Volunteers From Rutan & Tucker, LLP
December 20, 2012 | Families In Need Assisted By Volunteers From Rutan & Tucker, LLP
December 22, 2011 | Volunteers From Rutan & Tucker, LLP Assist Families In Need
November 1, 2011 | Making The Most of Prior CEQA Documents
September 1, 2011 | Twenty-four Rutan & Tucker Partners Named To 2011 “Super Lawyers” Business Edition List
January 20, 2011 | Nineteen Rutan & Tucker Partners Named “Southern California Super Lawyers” for 2011
December 21, 2010 | Volunteers from Rutan & Tucker LLP Assist With Annual SOS Adopt A Family
View All
Publications
  • “What’s Hot in California Environmental Quality Act,” Presented at the 2014 State Bar of California 87th Annual Meeting, MCLE, September 12, 2014
  • “Making the Most of Prior CEQA Documents,” Western Real Estate Business, October 2011
  • “Twenty Ways to Improve Your Administrative Record and Increase Your Chances for Success in CEQA Litigation”, Public Law Journal, California State Bar, Vol. 22, No. 4, Fall 1999
  • “Nonresident Plaintiffs Lack Standing to Challenge Amendment to Redevelopment Plan”, Redevelopment Journal, April 1995, p. 2
  • “A Plaintiff With Standing – Every Lawsuit Needs One”, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Practitioner, July 1, 1993, p. 7; San Francisco Daily Journal, Practitioner, July 1, 1993, p. 5
Seminars/Courses
  • Spring 2016 CEQA Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE May 2, 2016
  • CEQA Compliance Timing: Judicial Treatment of “Pre-Commitment” Since Save Tara, Presented at The State Bar of California 88th Annual Meeting, October 9, 2015
  • Current Developments in CEQA Administrative Practice and Remedies, Presented at the California State Bar UC Hastings Environmental Law Conference, June 12, 2015
  • Spring 2015 CEQA Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, April 13, 2015
  • Fall CEQA Cases Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE October 13, 2014
  • What’s Hot in CEQA, Presented at State Bar of California Annual Conference, September 12, 2014
  • Emerging Trends in CEQA, Presented at the Appellate Judicial Attorneys Institute Conference, March 20, 2014
    Land Use Cases Fall Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE November 4, 2013
  • Emerging Challenges Associated with Public Information in the Electronic Age, Presented at the 2013 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, State Bar of California Environmental Law Section, MCLE, October 27, 2013
  • The Fall CEQA Roundup, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE, October 7, 2013
  • Legal Ethics for Municipal Attorneys, City Attorneys Association for the County of Los Angeles, MCLE August 22, 2013
  • CEQA/Land Use Update – Fall, Winter and (a bit of) Spring, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE, April 1, 2013
  • Keeping it Clean: Strategies for a Neat and Tidy Administrative Record, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE, March 4, 2013
  • Overview of CEQA and a Few Other Pointers, for the Marina Planning Commission, February 14, 2013
  • Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Attorneys in the Public Arena, Rutan & Tucker, LLP, MCLE, January 14, 2013
  • Avoiding Public Hearing Pitfalls, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, December 3, 2012
  • CEQA/Land Use Update – The Fall and Winter Cases” Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, March 5, 2012
  • Ethics and Public Service Laws and Principles, City of Torrance, AB 1234 Training, August 24, 2011
  • Making the Most of Prior CEQA Documents, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, August 1, 2011
  • Making the Most of CEQA Exemptions, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, April 4, 2011
  • New Developments – CCP Section 1021.5 Attorney Fee Motions, Orange County City Attorneys Association MCLE, February 17, 2011
  • Lions and Tigers and CCP Section 1021.5 Attorneys’ Fees (Oh My!), Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, February 7, 2011
  • Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update, Los Angeles County City Attorneys Association MCLE, November 18, 2010
  • Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, October 11, 2010
  • Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update, City of Long Beach MCLE, September 27, 2010
  • Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update, League of California Cities, Fall Conference, September 16, 2010 
  • Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update, League of California Cities, Spring City Attorney’s Conference, May 5, 2010
  • Greenhouse Gas, Climate Change, CEQA Compliance, and More…, City of La Quinta, February 17, 2010
  • Administrative Record Preparation, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, February 1, 2010
  • A New Year, New Cases, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE January 4, 2010
  • CEQA and Land Use Litigation Update, League of California Cities Annual Conference, September 18, 2009
  • CEQA and Land Use Litigation Update, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, September 14, 2009
  • CEQA and Land Use Litigation Update, City of Long Beach MCLE, June 4, 2009
  • Recent Developments Relating to Due Process in Land Use Administrative Hearings, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, June 1, 2009
  • CEQA and Land Use Litigation Update, City of La Quinta, May 26, 2009
  • CEQA and Land Use Litigation Update, League of California Cities, Spring City Attorney’s Conference, May 6, 2009
  • Update on Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Supply Issues, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, March 2, 2009
  • Update on Recent Development in Land Use, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, February 2, 2009
  • CEQA Training, Session 2: The Nitty-Gritty of CEQA Compliance, City of Long Beach MCLE, October 16, 2008
  • CEQA Compliance for Property Acquisition, Session 1: Property Acquisition — Defining the Project, Phasing, Timing and Scope of Environmental Review, City of Long Beach MCLE, September 30, 2008
  • CEQA’s Dirty Dozen: A Guide to Steering Clear of the 12 Most Common CEQA Mistakes, City of Long Beach MCLE, November 2007
  • Quarterly Update New CEQA Cases, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, August 2007
  • Update on Air Quality Developments and New CEQA Decisions, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, April 2007
  • Review of 2006 CEQA Cases, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, February 2007
  • Building Communities, Orange County Conference for Woman, Panelist, September 2006
  • Overview of General Plans, Specific Plans, and Zoning, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, March 2003
  • The Do’s and Don’ts in Representing Developers and Agencies in Public Hearings for Development Projects, Moderator, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE Seminar, March 2003
  • A Guide to Planning Commission Meetings, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE Seminar, February 2003
  • CEQA Overview and Practice Tips, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE Seminar, September 2002
  • CEQA Tips, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE Seminar, May 2002
  • A CEQA Overview, City of La Quinta Planning Department, City of La Quinta, May 2002
  • Defending Land Use Approvals in CEQA Litigation and from Challenges under the Federal and State Endangered Species Act, League of California Cities, City Attorney’s Spring Conference, Spring 2000
  • What’s New and Exciting Under the California Environmental Quality Act, California Chapter, American Planning Association Annual Conference, October 1996
  • CEQA Guerrilla Warfare – A Litigator’s Perspective, Cahuilla District of the American Planning Association, March 1996
  • California Environmental Quality Act MCLE Seminar, City of Long Beach, September 1994
  • California Environmental Quality Act MCLE Seminar, City of Long Beach, Redevelopment Agency, December 1994
  • Recent Developments Regarding the California Environmental Quality Act, American Planning Association Nuts and Bolts Conference on Zoning, March 1994
  • Overview of the Government Tort Claims Act, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, February 1993
  • The Public Records Act, Rutan & Tucker, LLP MCLE, July 1992
  • Emerging Trends in Section 1983 Liability – Avoiding Section 1983 Liability For Regulation of First Amendment Rights, League of California Cities, Continuing Education Seminar for Municipal Attorneys, 1991
  • The Right of Access to Information Held by Public Agencies, American Planning Association State Conference, 1990
Awards & Affiliations
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Awards & Honors
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2021


Best Lawyers Award Badge

  • Southern California “Super Lawyer” 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012
  • Southern California “Super Lawyer” Business Edition, 2012
  • AV® Preemininent™ rating with LexisNexis/Martindale Hubbell
  • Daily Journal’s Annual List of 100 Leading Women Lawyers in California, 2013
TimesOC Best Seal 4C FNL1
Best Law Firms 2021 Standard Badge
2020 Am Law 200 Image
2020 Firm Logo

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