- J.D., Environmental & Public Law Certificates, University of California, Davis, 2019
- M.A., Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, 2013
- B.A., Environmental Studies, Minor: Spanish, University of Southern California, 2012
- The State Bar of California (Attorney No. 327697)
- California State Courts
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental, Public Law, & Young Lawyers Sections
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- Selected for inclusion in the Rising Stars section of the Northern California Super Lawyers® magazine (2023–present)
- Board Member, California Environmental Law and Policy Center, UC Davis School of Law (2024–present)
- Alumni Mentor, Alumni/Student Mentorship Program, UC Davis School of Law (2020–present)
- Panelist/Speaker, Housing Exemptions Streamlining Roundtable, 2025 California State Conference, Association of Environmental Professionals (April 2025)
- Workshop Presenter/Speaker, 2024 Mid-Year Housing Law Check In: Implementing, Enforcing, and Amending Recent Housing Legislation, Environmental Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association (August 2024)
- Workshop Presenter/Speaker, Considering the Effects of Wildfires on Housing Under CEQA, Environmental Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association (November 2022)
- Editor, California Land Use & Policy Reporter (2020–2025)
- Committee Member (Student Scholarships & Outreach), California Lawyers Association Programs Committee (2020–2022)
- Best Oralist (Preliminary Round), 31st National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law (2019)
- Former Research Assistant, Professor Richard Frank, Professor of Environmental Practice and Director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center (CELPC), UC Davis School of Law (2017–2019)
- Former Teaching Assistant, Environmental Law, UC Davis Undergraduate Environmental Science & Policy Program (2017–2019)
- Former Student Attorney, Aoki Water Justice Clinic, UC Davis School of Law (2018–2019)
- Former Teaching Assistant, Legal Research & Writing, UC Davis School of Law (2018–2019)
- Former Managing Editor, Environs – The Environmental Law and Policy Journal, UC Davis School of Law (2017–2018)
- Former Member and Symposium Chair (Humans and Their Environment: Protecting Our Planet and Its Inhabitants), Environmental Law Society, UC Davis School of Law (2016–2019)
- Former Member and Founding Member, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF), UC Davis School of Law (2016–2019)
- Royal Court Princess, Pasadena Tournament of Roses (2009)
As a new mom, Bridget spends most of her free time with her husband, their infant son (who they welcomed in May 2025), and Shortbread, their rescued pitbull terrier. When she gets a moment to herself, she also enjoys reading, catching up on the latest hit TV shows, vegetarian cooking, interior decorating, photography, travelling, indoor cycling, yoga, and rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers and USC Trojans.
- Outside counsel to the City of Los Angeles in several ongoing litigation matters defending the City’s compliance with CEQA, the Planning & Zoning Law, housing, and land use laws for various development and housing projects. Previously defended the City in challenges to the City’s approval of the Harvard-Westlake River Park Sports Complex, the Sidewalks and Transit Amenities Program (STAP), the Whitley Hotel Project, the Fallbrook Point Project, and the 2111 South Pacific housing development project.
• Outside counsel to Rogal Partners and Eldridge Renewal in connection with the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan housing development project, including in litigation arising under the Housing Accountability Act and the Surplus Land Act. - Outside counsel to the County of Humboldt in several litigation matters defending the County’s compliance with CEQA for various approvals and cannabis matters. Successfully defended the County in CEQA and land use superior and appellate court actions challenging the County’s approval of the Rolling Meadows Ranch cannabis cultivation and processing project, the Nordic Aqufarms Samoa Peninsula Land-Based Aquaculture Project, the County’s zoning text amendments, and the Emerald Triangle cannabis manufacturing permit.
- Outside counsel to the Marina Coast Water District in several ongoing litigation matters challenging a large desalination plant on the Monterey Peninsula, including proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearings Office and the California Coastal Commission.
- Advise and assist the California High-Speed Rail Authority on CEQA compliance strategies for various components of the High-Speed Rail Project.
- Advise and assist Fehr & Peers with its preparation of the City of Los Angeles’s Nexus Study and amendments to its Highway Dedication and Improvement Ordinance.
- Advise and assist Hunter Properties with CEQA and land use review and approvals for the Alder Creek Plaza in Folsom, CA.
- Provide ongoing land use due diligence review and entitlement advice to agencies and developers, including insights into recent housing legislation and its implications for the permitting and approvals process. Previously reviewed and provided housing development guidance for: the Empire Ranch and Iron Point housing projects in Folsom, CA; The Ranch by Hovnanian Homes in Rancho Cordova, CA; the Mill Creek Multi-Family Development Project in Sacramento County, CA; Ringer Ranch in Ione, CA; the Downtown Library Mixed-Use/Affordable Housing Project in Santa Cruz, CA.
- Advised, assisted, and represented the Windsor Unified School District before the Town of Windsor’s planning commission and town council to successfully negotiate a school facilities land dedication requirement as part of the Quail Acres housing development project.
- Provided pro-bono legal representation to the non-profit organization of We Are Up to secure CEQA and land use approvals for its supportive housing and community center project in Humboldt County.
- Advised and assisted the City of Alameda in connection with reviewing and commenting on CEQA and NEPA documents prepared for projects proposed at the Oakland International Airport and the Port of Oakland.
- Advised and assisted the Port of Los Angeles with its CEQA review of various projects, including upgrades to the Orcem and Vopak terminals.
- Provided pro-bono representation to the non-profit organization Keep the Code, Inc., in a CEQA action challenging the County of Mendocino’s approval of a mining quarry.
- Represented and assisted the County of Imperial in connection with its CEQA review, permitting, and approval of Ormatt geothermal lease renewals.
- Represented the Sonoma Valley Unified School District in CEQA litigation over the District’s Sonoma Valley High School Athletic Fields Renovation Project.
- Assisted in representing the real party in interest, Athletics Investment Group LLC, in a CEQA action challenging the City of Oakland’s approval of the Oakland A’s proposed Major League Baseball stadium at Howard Terminal.
- United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles (2023) 93 Cal.App.5th 1075.
- Marina Coast Water District v. County of Monterey (2023) 96 Cal.App.5th 46.
- HUM CPR Affiliates v. Couty of Humboldt (Cal. Ct. App., 2022 [A161918])
- Lehman v. County of Humboldt (Cal. Ct. App., 2022 [A162986])
Bridget K.
McDonald
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
916.443.2745
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
916.443.2745
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
916.443.2745
Professional Highlights
- Outside counsel to public agencies, including the City of Los Angeles, the County of Humboldt, and the Marina Coast Water District, in various superior and appellate court actions to defend and/or prosecute litigation filed under CEQA, the Planning & Zoning Law, the Housing Accountability Act, the State Density Bonus Law, federal and State constitutions, and local municipal codes.
- Advise and represent developers and non-profit organizations throughout the land use entitlement and environmental review process for streamlined approval of housing development projects under various State housing laws and CEQA.
- Board member for the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at UC Davis School of Law
About Bridget K.
Bridget McDonald is a senior associate who joined RMM in 2019 after previously working as the firm’s 2018 summer associate. Ms. McDonald represents public agencies, developers, landowners, and non-profit organizations in connection with land use entitlements, environmental review, and litigation involving a broad range of development projects throughout California. Her practice focuses on CEQA, the Planning & Zoning Law, the Housing Accountability Act, the Housing Crisis Act, the State Density Bonus Law, the Housing Element Law, the Subdivision Map Act, and other housing streamlining statutes. Bridget is also well-versed and has experience in legal issues arising under the California Coastal Act, the California Public Records Act, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), and the State and federal constitutions, including substantive and procedural due process rights, takings claims, and the public trust doctrine.
Ms. McDonald is particularly interested in the vast array of California’s housing laws and their ever-evolving legal and legislative landscape. She enjoys working with clients and multidisciplinary project teams to tackle complex and nuanced issues and devise thoughtful, defensible strategies to facilitate more housing throughout the State. As part of this work, Ms. McDonald has presented and spoken on these issues at practitioner workshops and legal conferences, including those hosted by the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section and the Association of Environmental Planners.
Ms. McDonald has been recognized annually as a California Super Lawyer since 2023 and currently serves on the board of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at UC Davis School of Law. From 2020 to 2025, she served as an editor of the California Land Use & Policy Reporter.
Originally from Pasadena, CA, Ms. McDonald earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental studies from the University of Southern California (USC) and her Juris Doctor degree with certificates in environmental and public service law from UC Davis School of Law.
- J.D., Environmental & Public Law Certificates, University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law, 2019
- M.A., Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, 2013
- B.A., Environmental Studies, Minor: Spanish, University of Southern California, 2012
- The State Bar of California (Attorney No. 327697)
- California State Courts
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental, Litigation, Public Law, & Young Lawyers Sections
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- Selected for inclusion in the Rising Stars section of the Northern California Super Lawyers® magazine (2023–present)
- Editor, California Land Use & Policy Reporter (2020–present)
- Alumni Mentor, Alumni/Student Mentorship Program, UC Davis School of Law (2020–present)
- Committee Member (Student Scholarships & Outreach), California Lawyers Association Programs Committee (2020–2022)
- Member, Association of Women in Water, Energy, & Environment (AWWEE) (2018–2021)
- Best Oralist (Preliminary Round), 31st National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law (2019)
- Former Research Assistant, Professor Richard Frank, Professor of Environmental Practice and Director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center (CELPC), UC Davis School of Law (2017–2019)
- Former Teaching Assistant, Environmental Law, UC Davis Undergraduate Environmental Science & Policy Program (2017–2019)
- Former Student Attorney, Aoki Water Justice Clinic, UC Davis School of Law (2018–2019)
- Former Teaching Assistant, Legal Research & Writing, UC Davis School of Law (2018–2019)
- Former Managing Editor, Environs – The Environmental Law and Policy Journal, UC Davis School of Law (2017–2018)
- Former Member and Symposium Chair (Humans and Their Environment: Protecting Our Planet and Its Inhabitants), Environmental Law Society, UC Davis School of Law (2016–2019)
- Former Member and Founding Member, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF), UC Davis School of Law (2016–2019)
In her spare time, Bridget enjoys reading, vegetarian cooking, indoor cycling, travelling, spending time with her husband and their rescued pitbull named Shortbread, and watching Los Angeles Dodger baseball games and USC Trojan football games. Bridget also fosters and volunteers with several local animal shelters, including Joybound People & Pets (formerly Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation) and Yolo County Animal Services.
- Outside counsel to the City of Los Angeles in several ongoing litigation matters defending the City’s compliance with CEQA for various development projects, including the Harvard-Westlake River Park Sports Complex, the Sidewalks and Transit Amenities Program (STAP), and the Universal Guest Home project. Previously defended the City in CEQA challenges to the City’s approval of the Whitley Hotel Project, the Fallbrook Point Project, and the 2111 South Pacific housing development project.
- Outside counsel to the County of Humboldt in several ongoing litigation matters defending the County’s compliance with CEQA for various approvals and cannabis matters, including the Rolling Meadows Ranch cannabis cultivation and processing project and the Nordic Aqufarms Samoa Peninsula Land-Based Aquaculture Project. Successfully defended the County in CEQA action challenging the County’s approval of zoning text amendments. Successfully won cross-appeal in action challenging the County’s CEQA categorical exemption for a cannabis manufacturing permit.
- Outside counsel to the Marina Coast Water District in several ongoing litigation matters challenging a large desalination plant on the Monterey Peninsula, including proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearings Office and the California Coastal Commission.
- Outside counsel to Rogal Partners and Eldridge Renewal in connection with the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan housing development project.
- Advise and assist the City of Alameda in connection with reviewing and commenting on CEQA and NEPA documents prepared for projects proposed at the Oakland International Airport and the Port of Oakland.
- Advise and assist the Port of Los Angeles with its CEQA review of various projects, including upgrades to the Orcem and Vopak terminals.
- Provide pro-bono legal assistance to the non-profit organization of We Are Up for its proposed supportive housing and community center project in Humboldt County.
- Advise and assist the High Speed Rail Authority with review and preparation of the administrative record for various ongoing litigation matters.
- Provided pro-bono representation to the non-profit organization Keep the Code, Inc., in CEQA action challenging the County of Mendocino’s approval of a mining quarry.
- Represented and assisted the County of Imperial in connection with its CEQA review, permitting, and approval of Ormatt geothermal lease renewals.
- Represented the Sonoma Valley Unified School District in CEQA litigation over the District’s Sonoma Valley High School Athletic Fields Renovation Project.
- Represented the Tahoe Prosperity Center pro-bono in federal action filed by local landowner who contested Tahoe Regional Planning Agnecy’s approval of local 5G cellular towers.
- Advised and assisted the City of Santa Cruz with streamlined CEQA review and approval of the City’s downtown library and affordable housing mixed-use development project.
- Represented real party in interest Richland Developers Inc., in appellate CEQA litigation challenging the City of Lincoln’s Village 5 Specific Plan.
- Assisted with the representation of real party in interest, Athletics Investment Group LLC, in CEQA action challenging the City of Oakland’s approval of the Oakland A’s newly proposed Major League Baseball stadium at Howard Terminal.
- Assisted with representing real party in interest Helen Diller Foundation in CEQA action challenging a UC Berkeley student housing project.
- Drafted legislation sponsored by Fume Brands, Inc. for a cannabis voter initiative in Napa County.
- United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles (2023) 93 Cal.App.5th 1075.
- Marina Coast Water District v. County of Monterey (2023) 96 Cal.App.5th 46.
- HUM CPR Affiliates v. Couty of Humboldt (Cal. Ct. App., 2022 [A161918])
- Lehman v. County of Humboldt (Cal. Ct. App., 2022 [A162986])