Samuel D. Bacal-Graves

Samuel Bacal-Graves assists public and private clients in navigating complex permitting, land use, and environmental matters. He provides legal support to developers and agencies, drawing on his deep understanding of California’s land use laws. Sam’s practice encompasses entitlement permitting, environmental compliance, and defending project approvals in litigation. He is extensively familiar with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the state’s evolving housing laws, the Subdivision Map Act, the Mitigation Fee Act, and various other planning, land use, and environmental regulations.

Education

University of California at Davis School of Law, J.D., 2020; Editor, UC Davis Business Law Journal; Order of the Coif; Dean’s Merit Scholarship Recipient

University of California at Santa Cruz, B.A., Philosophy, 2011; Dean’s Honors List

Admissions

California

• Entitled the largest housing project ever approved in the Central City of Sacramento in approximately six months.
• Assisted in securing trial court dismissal of all three causes of action on demurrer for lawsuit challenging existing development in Madera County.
• Assisted a municipality on CEQA compliance for electric utility regulatory changes and collaborated with co-counsel to negotiate settlement with adverse parties.
• Assisted agency in defending various lawsuits filed under CEQA, the Subdivision Map Act, and the Planning and Zoning Law.
• Assisted an affordable housing developer in effectively using California’s housing laws to secure approval for a project in a hostile jurisdiction.
• Advised developers on entitlement and CEQA strategies for multiple large infill developments in Sacramento.
• Contributed to successful defense of a senior memory care facility in CEQA litigation filed by neighboring homeowners.

Insights & Presentations

• “First Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Marine Mammal Protection Act Challenge to Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project,” California Land Use Law & Policy Reporter, July 2024
• “EPA Publishes Final Rule - Requires PFAS Reporting Under TSCA,” California Water Law & Policy Reporter, December 2023
• “D.C. Circuit Requires EPA to Regulate Perchlorate Levels Under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, June 2023
• “Governor’s Infrastructure Plan: Legislature Finds Modest CEQA Reforms too Complex for a Vote this Year,” Daily Journal, June 16, 2023

• Listed among Rising Stars (Land Use/Zoning) Northern California Super Lawyers^®, 2024–present

Professional

• Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
• California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
• UC Davis School of Law, Lecturer, Law 280: Analytical and Persuasive Writing, 2023–present