Bruce A Behrens

Chief Counsel
Legal

Bruce Behrens was appointed Chief Counsel in October of 2000. As Chief Counsel, Behrens is responsible for managing the Department's four-office, 250-employee Legal Division and providing legal advice to the Director and top Department management. The Legal Division represents the Department in over 2,000 active lawsuits and provides a full range of transactional and house counsel legal services.

Behrens previously served as the Assistant Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs, coordinating the Department's legislative program and representing the Department before the California Legislature.

Since joining the Legal Division in 1973, Behrens has represented the Department in both state and federal courts, specializing in environmental, real property, and contract litigation. During this time, he has also provided advice on a broad range of legal issues affecting the Department, including environmental review, transportation planning and funding, private-public partnerships, hazardous waste clean-up, air and water quality compliance, state-tribal relations, permits, and historical preservation. In 1982, he completed graduate studies in transportation and regional planning at the University of California's School of City and Regional Planning. Upon his return to state service, Behrens spent two years representing the Health and Welfare Agency in litigation related to implementation of Proposition 65, the state's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

A San Francisco native, Behrens received his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz and graduated from law school at the University of California at Davis. Prior to joining the Department, Behrens founded a consulting firm specializing in general plan review and environmental analyses. Behrens, his wife Anne, and their three sons live in Davis, California.