Best Lawyers Near You in Santa Barbara, California
With nearly 200,000 licensed attorneys across a state known for its massive industries, progressive laws and regional differences, finding the right legal help in California can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re facing a business dispute in Silicon Valley or a custody battle in San Diego, it’s critical to find a lawyer in California who not only understands the law but understands how it works where you live.
That’s where Best Lawyers comes in. Our platform is more than just a directory. Every lawyer listed has been thoroughly vetted through a rigorous peer-review process, so you can search with confidence no matter what practice area you need.
Using the Best Lawyers Directory in California
The Best Lawyers directory makes it easy to find top-rated legal talent across California’s many regions and industries. You can search by:
- Practice area (e.g., environmental law, immigration, tech and IP, family law)
- Location (city or county)
- Lawyer name (if you’re researching someone specifically)
Each listed attorney has been recognized in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a distinction earned through extensive peer feedback and professional evaluation. That means every name you see has already earned the respect of their colleagues—and likely their adversaries, too.
If you need to find a lawyer in California without wasting time on unverified referrals or endless Google results, start here. Our listings provide clear, up-to-date profiles that help you narrow down your options quickly.
California-Specific Legal Needs and Practice Areas
California law can be tricky. You need someone who knows the ropes. The state is a national leader in tech innovation, environmental regulation and entertainment law—and its legal landscape reflects that. Attorneys here must stay up to date not only with federal law but with fast-evolving state statutes, administrative rulings and court precedents.
Some of the most common practice areas where Californians seek legal help include:
- Real estate law, especially in high-cost markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County
- Family law, including divorce, child custody and support disputes, all governed by California’s unique family code
- Tech and IP law, a major concern for startups and established firms alike in the Bay Area and beyond
- Entertainment and media law, vital for clients in Los Angeles and surrounding creative hubs
- Environmental and land use law, which is especially important in light of California’s extensive regulations on development, conservation and climate compliance
California also has strict state bar licensing rules, making it essential to choose an attorney who is not just experienced in the area of law you need, but also well-versed in local procedures and precedent. That’s why using a trusted directory like Best Lawyers—where every listing has local context and professional vetting—can make the difference.
How to Find a Good Lawyer in California
Finding a good lawyer in California feels daunting. With so many billboards and online ads, don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to turn. The best results come from approaching your search with intention. Here are key things to consider:
- Know your legal issue. Attorneys often specialize. Make sure you’re looking within the right practice area.
- Check credentials. Always confirm that a lawyer is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California.
- Evaluate experience. Ask about similar cases the attorney has handled, especially in your city or county.
- Ask the right questions. When interviewing lawyers, consider asking:
- What is your experience with this specific type of case?
- How do you communicate with clients during the process?
- What outcomes have you achieved in similar matters?
- Read peer and client feedback. While reviews can be helpful, peer recognition carries additional weight. Lawyers know the strengths—and weaknesses—of their colleagues better than anyone else.
Choosing the right legal partner isn’t just about skill. It’s about trust, communication and shared expectations. That’s why using a curated directory that highlights attorneys recommended by their peers can help you filter out guesswork.
Why Peer Recognition Matters in Your Search
The Best Lawyers selection process is rooted in peer recognition—a factor that sets us apart from other platforms. Here’s how it works:
- Nominations come from fellow lawyers, clients and others familiar with a nominee’s work.
- Peer review follows, in which top attorneys confidentially assess the legal skill and professionalism of their peers.
- Analysis and vetting ensure lawyers meet strict ethical and professional standards before being listed.
This isn’t pay-to-play. Lawyers cannot buy their way into the directory and inclusion is never guaranteed. That’s why so many legal professionals and clients trust Best Lawyers as a reliable source of information.
In a field where reputation is everything, recognition from fellow attorneys carries exceptional value. It tells you a lawyer is respected not just by clients, but by those who face them in court or collaborate with them on deals.
Start Your Search with Confidence
Whether you’re seeking representation for a business dispute, criminal matter, estate plan or high-asset divorce, California’s legal market offers no shortage of options. But knowing how to find a lawyer in California—one who brings both credibility and local expertise—is the key to moving forward with clarity.
At Best Lawyers, we make it easier to connect with attorneys who have already earned the respect of their peers. You can explore by practice area, browse by city or search for a specific lawyer using our intuitive filters. No matter where you are in the Golden State, trusted legal help is just a click away.
Find a lawyer in California today and move forward with confidence—backed by a directory built on excellence and trust.
Select a practice area from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Practice Areas
Respected authority on California and Central Coast land use, environmental and real estate issues. Leads developers, energy companies, large land owners and cannabis and hemp growers through complicated land use matters. Expansive expertise in entitlements, enforcement matters and litigation. Beth Collins is a problem solver who handles high-profile, large and controversial land use matters along the Central Coast and throughout California. She formulates strategies that help her clients&mda...
Specialized California water law expertise. Trusted strategic advisor and project manager for complex water supply and infrastructure projects. Innovative problem solver for high-stakes water disputes. With more than 20 years of specialized expertise in water law, Stephanie Hastings has played a leading role in California’s most complex and precedent-setting water matters. She brings sophisticated legal skill and experience to the acquisition, maintenance and protection of water resourc...
Nearly 20 years of experience handling the most significant and complex water matters in California, Nevada and across the west. Leader in California groundwater management. Business-savvy approach to water strategy. Brad Herrema understands the vital role that water plays in any project. From the development of groundwater management strategies, to identifying opportunities for water investment, to securing recreational water supplies, his approach integrates each client’s unique busin...
Pragmatic water litigator and skilled negotiator. Nearly 30 years of water law experience. Plays a leading role in California’s most important water rights cases. Rob Saperstein is widely respected for his ability to optimize his client’s rights in groundwater, surface water and recycled water development and management. Public entity water suppliers and large landowners rely on his legal counsel to protect and maximize their water resources. Working in both transactional and liti...
Leader in cannabis cultivation projects and co-chair of Cannabis & Industrial Hemp industry group. Works at the intersection of land use and water law. Santa Barbara office managing partner. Amy Steinfeld is a land use and water lawyer with a broad understanding of environmental issues and a passion for the cannabis industry. Operating in one of the most heavily regulated industries and states, her passion and genuine concern for her clients is critical to her success. Drawing on a substa...
Natural resources attorney with unique expertise combining public agency work with water law. Specializes in emerging groundwater laws and implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Immersive, team-player, prioritizing a preemptive approach to representation. Jena Acos’ practice thrives at the intersection of water and public agency law. She intimately understands how natural resource issues interrelate with the economic, social and regulatory aspects inherent ...
Environmental attorney with expertise in complex, niche water resources issues. Unique practice combining litigation and transactional work. Known for approachable manner. With an affable approach, Jessica Diaz embraces challenging legal questions and guides clients through uncertain terrain in the areas of water supply and land use in California. She also has experience with large, high-stakes real estate transactions related to water and assisting institutional corporate clients with niche ...
Natural resources attorney combining expertise in land use, CEQA and water resources issues. Specialized experience in infrastructure, real estate development projects and water-related litigation. A committed team leader with an innovative, business-oriented approach to representation and advocacy. With combined experience in regulation and litigation, Chris Guillen acts as a trusted advisor on complex projects as they relate to natural resources issues. His expertise spans the intersection ...
Matthew Preusch is a partner at Keller Rohrback and practices in its nationally-recognized Complex Litigation Group. Matt focuses his work on cases that protect people and the environment. He has helped initiate landmark consumer litigation related to Volkswagen’s “Clean Diesel” deceit and Wells Fargo’s unauthorized account scheme. When studies of moss samples in trees in Portland, Oregon identified several pollution “hotspots” in that city, he and others a...