Aaron Forbath ( He/Him/His )

Aaron Forbath joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2021.  As a member of the Finance, Government Operations, and Technology Team, he serves as counsel for the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District, South Santa Clara County Fire District, Los Altos Hills County Fire District, and Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Management Corporation, advising on public law, contracting, land use, and environmental issues.  Aaron is also a member of the Environment and Land Use team.  His portfolio includes transactional, advisory, legislative, and litigation matters, with a special focus on affordable housing, land use, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Prior to joining the Office of the County Counsel, Aaron served as a law clerk to the Honorable Cormac J. Carney of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  Previously, Aaron worked at Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, where he represented clients navigating the civil law consequences of the criminal justice system. Aaron’s professional expertise includes local government law, environmental law, and constitutional law. 

Office practice areas

• Finance, Government Operations, and Technology Team 
• Environment and Land Use Team 

​​Education

• Stanford Law School, J.D., 2018
  • Executive Editor, Stanford Environmental Law Journal 
  • Student Attorney, Stanford Environmental Law Clinic  
• Wesleyan University, B.A., High Honors in History, 2008 

Prior experience

• Law Clerk to the Honorable Cormac J. Carney, United States District Court for the Central District of California (2019-2020)  
• Stanford Law School Civitas Fellow at Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (2018-2019)