Photo: Andrew (far right) takes a tour of the inside New Bullards Bar Dam with Yuba Water staff and legal support team consultants.
Yuba Water Agency’s general counsel, Andrew Ramos, provides legal guidance to the agency’s leadership, including the Board of Directors and executive team, helping them understand the law, assess legal risks and options, and determine the best course of action for the agency. Andrew’s favorite part of his work is the variety of legal topics that he gets to work on, ranging from questions about contracts, to land issues, public agency rules and water, construction and employment law. Scroll to learn more about Andrew, his background and what he enjoys most about working for Yuba Water.
What is your background/formal education that led to where you are in your career today?
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American Studies and a law degree from the University of California, Davis. I have been a lawyer for 15 years.
How did you get involved in your current career path?
Before law school, I worked at the state Capitol for my local assemblymember. We worked closely with committee lawyers to draft new laws and review others’ proposals. I was fascinated by the complex policy issues that the legal team addressed and found their work far more engaging than the political side of my work. That led me to apply to law school.
What does your average day look like? Or what are some of your essential duties?
My main duty is to help guide Yuba Water on following the law and making good legal plans. In California, legal issues affect every aspect of our operations. That means every day is different. On most days, I have meetings with the executive team and department heads to discuss regular or new issues. I also answer a lot of quick questions from staff by email or Teams.
And then a chunk of my day is usually blocked off to work on projects that require my full attention, like drafting contracts or new policies. Finally, I spend a lot of time helping manage and communicate with our outside legal consultants, particularly on major issues like our work to get a new federal license (from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) for our dams and hydropower project. On Board of Directors meeting days, I also serve as the lawyer for the board and board committees.
Photo: Andrew poses with his wife, Julia.
Do your duties differ throughout the year? And if so, how?
I would say my duties differ depending on what major projects Yuba Water is pursuing. For major projects like the Nature-Like Fishway, I’ll work closely with the project team to address legal issues as they come up. The bigger the project, the more of my time will be dedicated to help with it.
What do you enjoy most about working for Yuba Water?
I enjoy my work with the agency's executive team the most. I’m fortunate to work with a top-notch team. While they teach me about water and hydropower operations, flood risk reduction, finance and leading a 100+ employee public agency, I do my best to contribute a legal perspective to the agency's decision making. I have found, without exception, the team is supportive, open-minded and focused on making this an excellent place to work for the benefit of the people of Yuba County.
Tell us something about yourself that most of us don't know.
My job as a lawyer is very different from my hobbies. As some of my coworkers have found out, I am a lifelong computer nerd. I am more likely to spend a weekend tinkering in my home lab (my personal computer network and servers) than studying a new Supreme Court opinion.
Before working at Yuba Water, what was the most interesting job you had?
Before working at Yuba Water, I was the lead outside lawyer to more than a dozen water and wastewater agencies. It was fascinating to hear about, and help tackle, all the unexpected things that can come up for public utilities. For example, I was also an attorney for a joint powers authority (an agency formed by several public bodies working together) with more than 50 voting members on its board of directors. That presented its own unique challenges.
My first job after high school was working in a butcher shop. The skills I learned don't directly apply to giving legal advice, but 25 years later, I am still really good at identifying cuts of meat!
What are three words you would use to describe Yuba Water?
Innovative, professional and engaged.