Finalist: Ellia Thompson

Partner and Chair of the Land Use Department
Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

Ellia Thompson has spent the last 20 years working with the federal government, media outlets and in private practice as a land use attorney. She concentrates her practice on land use, planning and zoning regulations, governmental administrative law and local housing laws. Her clients come for her extensive experience in land use entitlements, with particular emphasis on zoning and subdivisions, governmental administrative law, community outreach, projects located in the hillside and historical areas and environmental compliance, especially in relation to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).