Melissa Crosthwaite

Practice areas

Land use; advisory, transactional and litigation

Background and experience

Ms. Crosthwaite is a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Santa Ana, having previously served the City of Santa Ana as a Deputy City Attorney and Assistant City Attorney from 2010-2012.  She has advised public agencies for over 20 years in all areas of municipal law, including land use, ethics, public works and transparency laws. Prior to joining the City of Santa in 2010, Ms. Crosthwaite was in private practice, serving as counsel to school and community college districts and serving as an assistant city attorney for numerous cities throughout California.  After leaving the City of Santa Ana, Ms. Crosthwaite served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Hawthorne, serving as counsel to the Planning Commission and undertaking other advisory roles for the City.  Immediately prior to joining Santa Ana as a Senior Assistant City Attorney, Ms. Crosthwaite was of Counsel in the Municipal Law Group at Best Best & Krieger LLP and Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Orange.

Professional affiliations

Ms. Crosthwaite is admitted to practice law in California. She is also admitted to practice law in the State of Nevada.

Education

Ms. Crosthwaite received her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 2003. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, summa cum laude and with College Honors, in 1999.