Greta S. Hansen

Greta S. Hansen is the chief assistant county counsel for the County of Santa Clara. Her practice focuses on the development of litigation, programs, and policies designed to advance the well-being of residents of the county and beyond. In this role, she has spearheaded development of key local initiatives focused on improving service delivery to high-need populations. Greta has also served as counsel to the county’s Behavioral Health Services Department; Office of Supportive Housing; Office of Data Oversight Management and Evaluation; Human Trafficking Commission; Juvenile Justice Commission; and County Office of Education.

Greta oversees the County of Santa Clara’s affirmative litigation team, including its cases challenging the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the executive order seeking to deny federal funds to “sanctuary jurisdictions.” The county successfully blocked implementation of that executive order nationwide. She was one of the lead public lawyers in People v. Atlantic Richfield Co., a lawsuit that resulted in a $1.15 billion judgment dedicated to the abatement of lead paint.

Before her tenure in local government, Greta worked for the ACLU of Northern California and as a law clerk to Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2016, she was awarded the New Leaders Council of Silicon Valley’s Trailblazer of the Year Award. Greta received her B.A. from Brown University and her law degree from University of California, Berkeley.