Jenny S. Lam

Deputy County Counsel 

Jenny Lam joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2010.  She provides legal support for the County’s COVID-19 emergency response operations in all matters requiring expertise in public health or health care law, as well as guidance for K-12 schools and internal County policies and processes.  As a member of the Office’s Health and Hospitals team, she is the primary attorney for the Public Health Department and assists the Department in drafting and reviewing contracts, orders, resolutions, policies, and other legal documents; researching and providing advice on compliance and other issues; and handling other legal matters for the Department.  As a member of the Office’s Social Justice and Impact Litigation team, she helps to develop and implement internal and external policy initiatives, including County policies to promote workforce diversity and pay equity; ordinances restricting smoking in public places and multi-unit residences; and regulation of tobacco retailers in Santa Clara County.  She also engages in affirmative litigation and was a member of the trial team that obtained a $1.15 billion judgment in the County’s landmark public nuisance action against former lead paint manufacturers to abate residential lead paint and prevent lead poisoning of young children throughout California.

Since joining the Office, Jenny has represented the County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, Department of Tax and Collections (formerly, Department of Revenue), Juvenile Justice Commission, and Commission on the Status of Women; FIRST 5 Santa Clara County; the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District; and the South Santa Clara County Fire District.  She has also successfully handled employee disciplinary hearings before the Personnel Board and Pitchess motions and 8102 petitions for the Sheriff’s Office and Department of Correction.

Jenny’s professional expertise includes:

• Local government law
• Health care law, including compliance and privacy issues
• Public health law
• Affirmative litigation
• Policy development and implementation

Education

• University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 2008
  • Member, California Law Review and Asian American Law Journal
  • Alvin and Sadie Landis Prize in Government Law
• Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, M.P.P., 2008
  • Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow
• University of California, Berkeley, B.A. with high honors in department and high distinction in general scholarship, 2002

Prior Experience

• Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP (2008-2010)

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