Elizabeth Vissers ( She/Her/Hers )

Elizabeth Vissers joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2021.  As a member of the Environment and Land Use Team, she provides legal advice to County departments on projects impacting the environment, land use, and sustainability within Santa Clara County.  Elizabeth serves as counsel for the Department of Parks and Recreation, advising on public law, contracting, environmental, land use, real estate, and California Environmental Quality Act issues.  She also works with the Department of Planning and Development to regulate various quarries in the unincorporated area under the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act and local laws.  As a member of the Community Protection Team, Elizabeth represents the County in a variety of civil enforcement actions and develops tools and programs to protect the community and the environment. 

Before joining the Office, Elizabeth practiced environmental, labor, and employment law at Altshuler Berzon LLP, a public interest firm based in San Francisco, including litigating an Endangered Species Act case on behalf of environmental and fishing groups and representing workers in sex harassment discrimination class actions.  Elizabeth previously served as a law clerk to Judge A. Wallace Tashima on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge David O. Carter on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  Elizabeth’s professional expertise includes environmental law, administrative law, civil and complex litigation, open government law, and labor and employment law. 

Office practice areas

• Community Protection Team 
• Environment and Land Use Team 

​​Education

• Stanford Law School, J.D., Pro Bono Distinction, 2017 
  • Articles Editor, Stanford Law Review 
  • Managing Editor, Environmental Law Journal 
  • President, Environmental Law Society 
  • Co-President, Stanford American Constitution Society 
  • Founder and President, Women in Politics 
• Stanford University, M.S., Environment and Resources, 2017 
• U.C. Berkeley, B.A., Political Science, Highest Honors, 2013 
  • Minors in Geography and Energy & Resources 
  • Leadership Award Scholar 
  • Matsui Scholar 
  • Lead Program Coordinator, Building Sustainability at Cal 

Prior experience

• Natural Resources Defense Council Fellow at Altshuler Berzon LLP (2019-2021) 
• Law Clerk to the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2018-2019) 
• Law Clerk to the Honorable David O. Carter, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2017-2018)