Sonia Wills

Sonia Wills joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2021.  She is a member of the Environment and Land Use Team and serves as counsel to the County Department of Environmental Health.  Sonia is also a member of the Community Protection Team, advising County departments regarding code enforcement and litigating nuisance-abatement matters.  Prior to joining the County, Sonia served as Staff Counsel for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, helping to protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products.  She also served as Chair of the CERCLA Post Construction Focus Group for the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials, Inc., where she helped develop resource documents for States and Territories to promote environmental restoration.  Prior to law school, Sonia worked as a veterinary technician and as a medical assistant.  Sonia’s professional expertise includes hazardous waste and toxic substances regulation (RCRA, HWCL), superfund compliance (CERCLA, HSAA), land use and brownfields redevelopment, California Environmental Quality Act, and California Public Records Act. 

Office practice areas

• Community Protection Team 
• Environment and Land Use Team 

Education

• Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D., 2008 
  • Constance Baker Motley Constitutional Law Honors Moot Court 
  • Board Member, Environmental Law Society 
• University of California, Davis, B.A., 2004 

Professional associations

• CERCLA Post Construction Focus Group Chair and Member of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (2012-2018) 

Prior experience

• Senior Staff Counsel at California Department of Toxic Substances Control (2010-2021)  
• Special Deputy Attorney General at California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General (2009)