Virginia M. Sciabbarrasi

Ginny began working with White & Jankowski in 2018.  Previously, she served as Assistant Attorney General in the Natural Resources & Environment Section at the Colorado Department of Law.  As an AAG, Ginny primarily represented the State Board of Land Commissioners, a state agency that manages nearly 3 million surface acres, and 4 million mineral estate acres.  She handled all of the State Land Board water matters, including applications for new water rights and defending existing water and property rights across the State.  She also successfully negotiated settlements with parties that benefited the agency and its trust beneficiaries.  Ginny worked closely with agency staff to help the State Land Board work toward its strategic goal to expand and grow its water portfolio, thus increasing revenues and maximizing conservation values of trust assets for future generations in Colorado.  Ginny’s transactional experience includes preparing and negotiating groundwater and surface right leases and water acquisition and supply planning statewide, as well as working with other entities to develop and establish beneficial partnerships for water management.

Ginny also successfully handled numerous civil litigation matters for the State Land Board statewide, from mineral ownership disputes to boundary challenges.  She regularly negotiated mineral, agricultural, and recreational leases, rights-of-way, and acquisition and disposition contracts with both private parties and other government agencies. 

Previously, Ginny has represented Native American tribes across the Northeast and the West in matters ranging from litigation, providing general counsel, and negotiations with other government entities.  She also represented Colorado’s consumers in complex litigation as Special Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Section at the Colorado Department of Law. 

Ginny received her J.D. from The Catholic University of America in 2007, graduating with honors.  During law school, Ginny worked for a law firm in Washington, D.C., focusing on legislation and policy matters.  She received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a double major in Political Science and Journalism & Mass Communication in 2001.

Areas of Practice:

• Water Law
• Natural Resources Law
• Mineral Law
• Litigation
• Real Estate Law

Bar Admissions:

• Colorado, 2008

Education:

• The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington, D.C., May 2007
  – J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
  – Cum laude, graduated 7th in the evening program
  – Journal of Contemporary Health Law & Policy Staff Writer August 2006–May 2007
  – Student Attorney, Elder Law Clinic August 2006–May 2007
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., May 2001
  – B.A., Bachelor of Arts, Journalism and Mass Communication; B.A. in Political Science

Classes & Seminars Taught:

• Colorado Water Law 101, Presentation before the State Board of Land Commissioners, Public Session (Dec. 2017)
• CLE Presentation to the Attorney General’s office, Legislative History (Dec. 8, 2016)
• Guest Speaker, Western States Land Commissioners Association, WSLCA Subsurface Committee Royalty Working Group Conference (Apr. 20–22, 2016)

Professional Associations & Memberships:

• Colorado Bar Association