Lauren Layne is a Partner at Baker Manock & Jensen, PC in Fresno where she chairs the firm’s Business Department and leads the firm’s Water Law and Public Agency practice groups. Her law practice focuses on general water and environmental law, including CEQA and NEPA compliance, and includes various business transactional matters in the areas of water rights, water quality, public agency law, agribusiness, and real property. She also assists clients with land acquisitions and eminent domain proceedings. In addition to representing private farming clients, she serves as general counsel to various irrigation and water districts, flood control districts, and a number of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies.  

Lauren is a native of Porterville and has an agricultural background that includes farming, growing citrus and olives, and raising sheep. She was very involved in both 4-H and FFA, is a past 4-H Leader, and received her American FFA Degree.  Lauren attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she majored in Soil Science, chaired the National Agricultural Ambassador Conference, and competed on the Livestock Judging Team. Post Cal Poly, Lauren earned her J.D., with distinction, from McGeorge School of Law. She is currently serving as the President to the Cal Poly Alumni Association Board of Directors and as an Executive Committee Member on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences. Lauren also serves as President of the McGeorge Alumni Association Board of Directors.  She is the Vice Chair of the Association of California Water Agencies (“ACWA”) State Legislative Committee and serves on the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee.  Lauren is co-chair of the Fresno County Bar Association Ag Law Section and serves as an Advisor to the California Lawyers Association Business Law Section – Agribusiness Committee.  Lauren is also a member of the Fresno County Women Lawyers and Fresno County Farm Bureau.