Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley LLP is a law partnership focusing on land use and environmental law since 1982.

Ms. Thomas is a founding partner of Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley, LLP. She and late law partner Michael Remy founded the practice in 1982. She served as the managing partner for 28 years and is currently of counsel to the firm.

She was named Sacramento County Bar Association’s “Distinguished Attorney” in 2005 and, with her partners, is a co-author of the 2006 “Guide to the California Environmental Quality Act.” The first edition was published in 1987, and the Guide is updated from time to time. Published by Solano Press, approximately 3,000 copies of the Guide are sold annually. In addition, the Guide is used for teaching purposes at numerous workshops on CEQA.

Ms. Thomas’ clients include governmental agencies, developers and environmental organizations, and she focuses on environmental and entitlement processes in both administrative and judicial forums. Ms. Thomas collaborated extensively in the development and passage of SB 375, a bill that encourages smart growth and infill development, authored by Senator Darrell Steinberg.

Published Opinions

• Western States Petroleum Association v. Superior Court (1995) 9 Cal.4th 559
• Sacramento County v. Local Agency Formation Commission (1992) 3 Cal.4th 903
• Pocket Protectors v. City of Sacramento (2004) 124 Cal.App.4th 903
• Chaparral Greens, et al. v. City of Chula Vista, et al. (1996) 50 Cal.App.4th 1134
• City of Sacramento v. State Water Resources Control Board (1992) 2 Cal.App.4th 960
• Oro Fino Gold Mining Corp. v. County of El Dorado (1990) 225 Cal.App.3d 872
• Paul Baily, et al. v. County of El Dorado (Homeowners Protective Committee of El Dorado County, Real Party in Interest) (1985) 162 Cal.App.3d 94
• Environmental Planning and Information Council v. Superior Court (1985) 36 Cal.3d 188
• Environmental Council of Sacramento v. County of Sacramento (1982) 135
  Cal.App.3d 428
• Environmental Planning and Information Council v. County of El Dorado (1982) 131
  Cal.App.3d 350
• Perley v. County of Calaveras (1982) 137 Cal.App.3d 424
• Rural Land Owners’ Association v. City of Lodi (1982) 143 Cal.App.3d 1013
• Sutter Sensible Planning, Inc. v. County of Sutter (1981) 122 Cal.App.3d 813

Other Publications

• California Land Use, Co-authored chapters on the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act, 1984.
• Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) Land Use Forum:
  • Volume 1, Number 1/Fall 1991 – “CEQA Challenges Face A New Level of Scrutiny”
  • Volume 1, Number 2/Winter 1992 – “When Environmental Impacts May Be Regional, Courts Insist On Broad Scope of Analysis in EIRs”
  • Volume 1, Number 3/Spring 1992 – “Trial Court Rules That `Extended Summary’ of EIR, Public Notices, and Public Hearing Testimony Must Be Translated Into Spanish for Kings County Project”
  • Volume 1, Number 5/Fall 1992 – “Sierra Club v. County of Sonoma Court of Appeal Holds That `Fair Argument’ Standard of Review Applies to Decisions About ‘Second-Tier’ EIRs for Certain Site-Specific Projects”
  • Volume 2, Number 1/Winter 1993 – “Court of Appeal Holds That Trial Court Could Have Considered Evidence Outside Administrative Record in an Ordinary Mandamus Proceeding”
  • Volume 2, Number 2/Spring 1993 – “In CEQA `Compliance Proceeding,’ Lack of Adversity Between Parties Does Not Compel to Discharge Writ”
  • Volume 2, Number 2/Spring 1993 – “In Defense of CEQA”
  • Volume 2, Number 3/Summer 1993 – “Court of Appeal Rejects Argument That Potential Social Impacts (Increase in Crime) Are Physical Changes in the Environment Under CEQA”
  • Volume 2, Number 4/Fall 1993 – “Federal Courts’ Extraterritorial Application of NEPA”
  • Volume 3, Number 1/Winter 1994 – “Legislature Authorizes Master Environmental Impact Reports To Reduce Redundant Environmental Review”
  • Volume 3, Number 2/Spring 1994 – “Laurel Heights Improvement Ass’n v. Regents of University of California, The Supreme Court Recently Announced Its Rule Defining When Recirculation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report is Required”
  • Volume 3, Number 4/Fall 1994 – “State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Must Conform to Provisions of CEQA From Which it Is Not Specifically Exempted”
  • Volume 4, Number 2/Spring 1995 – “Evidence From Outside Administrative Record Cannot Be Admitted in CEQA Challenge to Quasi-Legislative Decision”
  • Volume 4, Number 4/Fall 1995 – “Absence of Supporting Evidence for Each Initial Study Conclusion in Either Initial Study or Record of Proceedings May Enlarge Scope of Fair Argument on Whether EIR Should Be Prepared in First Instance”
  • Volume 5, Number 2/Spring 1996 – “California Policy Seminar Releases Comprehensive Evaluation of CEQA”

Civic Activities

• Women Lawyers of Sacramento, Member, 1982-Present.
• Sacramento Food Bank Services, Finance Committee, 1989-Present – The Sacramento Food Bank Services provides not only food and shelter, but reading services to Sacramento’s underprivileged. In addition to raising funds for the maintenance and operation of the Food Bank, Ms. Thomas handles, on a pro-bono basis, most of the Food Banks land use and advocacy work for establishment of its housing program and reading center. Finally, Ms. Thomas worked at the Food Bank for three years distributing food on a weekly basis.
• The John Burton Foundation for Children without Homes, Member of the Board of Directors, 2006-Present – The Burton Foundation provides grants to programs throughout California that support homeless children. The Foundation also plays an advocacy role at both the state and local level.
• Valley Vision, Member of the Board of Directors , 2006-Present – Valley Vision is Sacramento’s premier planning “thinking tank,” which on behalf of certain clients addresses regional planning, transportation, open space and health issues.
• Loaves & Fishes – Ms. Thomas represented Loaves & Fishes, on a pro-bono basis, in a complaint filed by the City of Sacramento against Loaves & Fishes. The matter, which received national press, was settled in July, 1997. Ms. Thomas continues to represent Loaves & Fishes on a number of planning entitlement issues.
• In addition to the planning and entitlement work Ms. Thomas performs for both Loaves & Fishes and the Sacramento Food Bank, she has provided extensive pro bono legal work, generally related to planning, for WIND (teenage shelter for homeless teens), Francis House, WEAVE (women’s domestic violence resource center), and Cottage Housing.

Additionally, Ms. Thomas and/or her firm have been the subject of the following articles, prizes and
awards:

• Powerful & Influence 100 – Sacramento Magazine – 2008
• 50 Most Powerful People – Sacramento Magazine – 2006
• Distinguished Attorney – Sacramento Lawyer, SCBA – November/December 2005
• Downey Allen Justice Award – Sacramento County Bar – April 1999
• Women Who Mean Business – Sacramento Business Journal – September 1998
• In The Thick of Things – The Sacramento Bee – May 15, 1997
• Focused Interview – The Business Journal – August 1995
• Defining the Middle Ground – Comstock Magazine – January 1992
• Sacramento Firm’s Fees Are Low, Commitment is High – Daily Journal – April 20, 1990
• Lawyers with a Cause – Sacramento Magazine – October 1987
• The Class of ‘85 Best and Brightest – Sacramento Magazine – 1985