Kaitlin S. Bursey

Kaitlin S. Bursey

Associate

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Baker Manock & Jensen

Fig Garden Financial Center
5260 N. Palm Ave., Suite 201
Fresno, CA 93704-2209

Practice Groups

Kaitlin S. Bursey specializes in water, public agency, and agribusiness law. She provides special and general counsel and litigation services to public agency and private clients.

Background

Kaitlin S. Bursey is an Associate in the firm’s Business and Litigation Departments. She provides transactional and litigation services to public agency and private clients in the areas of water, municipal, and agribusiness law. Kaitlin’s legal practice focuses on water and natural resources law, water rights, water quality, municipal rates and fees, public agency law, agribusiness, eminent domain, real property, and general civil litigation.

Kaitlin grew up in eastern Shasta County and discovered her interest in water law and policy through her involvement with the agriculture industry and organizations like 4-H and FFA.

During law school, Kaitlin clerked with the California Department of Water Resources, the California Attorney General’s Office Section for Land Use, Natural Resources, and Environmental Law, Westlands Water District, and two Sacramento-based private firms specializing in water and natural resources and agribusiness law. Kaitlin served as President of the McGeorge Water Law Society and was a teacher’s assistant for Professor Dan Croxall’s legal writing class. She was the 2017 recipient of ACWA’s Stephen K. Hall Water Law & Policy Scholarship.

Prior to attending law school, Kaitlin worked as an agribusiness insurance underwriter for a global insurance carrier.

Education

• University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., with distinction, 2019)
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (B.S., Agricultural Science, 2013)

Bar Admissions

  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts

Speaking Events, Publications, and Achievements

  • Selected for the 2024 Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars List
  • Panelist, Association of California Water Agencies (“ACWA”) 2024 Fall Conference – Protect Yourself from a Rate Lawsuit! Implementing AB 2257
  • Speaker, Fresno County Bar Association Ag Law Section, October 2024 – The Latest Updates on SGMA and Who’s in Hot Water
  • Speaker, ACWA’s Regions 6&7 2024 San Joaquin Valley Water Forum: SGMA Update: Key Developments and Strategic Insights for Water Managers
  • Provided expert witness testimony during state legislative committee hearings regarding legislation which established an exhaustion of administrative remedies procedure for public water agencies to implement during the Proposition 218 process.
  • Moderator, 2023 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite – Panel titled “SGMA: Ruh Roh”
  • Moderator, 2023 California Water Law Symposium – Panel titled “Innovations in Reconciling Water Supply and Species”
  • Panelist, California Young Lawyer’s Association Water 101 Webinar (2022)
  • Faculty, National Business Institute’s Water Rights in California CLE Event (2022, 2020)
  • Harr, Kaitlin S., Protecting Public Services for All Ratepayers: Proposition 218 Process After Plantier, (Summer 2020) Real Prop. L.J., Vol. 38, No. 3; Pub. L.J. Vol. 43, No. 3.
  • Harr, Kaitlin S.,  Forever  Chemicals:  an Introduction  to  State  and  Federal Legislative  and  Regulatory  Activity Regarding PFAS and Public Water Suppliers, (Spring 2020) Environmental L. News, Vol. 29, No. 1.

Community Involvement

  • Mentor, annual McGeorge School of Law Spring 1L Mentorship Program
  • Mentor, Cal Poly, SLO Associated Students, Inc. Student Government Mentorship Program