Jonathan Renner

Sacramento

Renner's known Gov. Jerry Brown since his days at the attorney general's office, where he headed up the government law section representing state constitutional officers and agencies. He followed Brown to the capitol, where he's currently the governor's top legal advisor, drafting legislation and approving major litigation settlements. Renner compared his new job to that of in-house counsel for a massive company, making sure the "governor's interests are protected."

Among those interests is making sure Brown's plan to dissolve redevelopment agencies passes constitutional muster. After Brown signed a two-bill package that eliminates the agencies unless they agree to give the state a series of "voluntary" payments, several cities filed a lawsuit at the state Supreme Court, citing laws that prohibit the state from taking money from local governments.

Renner has also weighed in on pension benefits for state workers, an area he is likely to stay mired in over coming years. State courts have held that changes in a pension plan should be accompanied by comparable new advantages to the employees, but the courts have also provided openings to modify current pension plans.

Renner said he also meets once a week with the governor to advise on the interstate transfer of felons and parole decisions, an issue where Brown has made a break from his predecessors, approving the release of 219 of the 271 prisoners recommended for parole - an 80 percent approval rate.

- EMILY GREEN