Sangeetha Mallavarapu grew up in Oklahoma. After graduating from high school as the class valedictorian, Sangeetha received her B.A. with the highest honors (summa cum laude) and M.A. in psychology from Boston University. Sangeetha also has a minor in statistics.
After spending several years as the project coordinator of the Boston University Twin Project (studying genetic influences on children’s behavior and development), Sangeetha attended CU Law School in Boulder, CO on a full tuition scholarship.
After Sangeetha graduated from law school, Sangeetha practiced civil litigation at two large, prominent Denver law firms. However, after almost four years in civil litigation, Sangeetha felt compelled to transition her practice to family law after going through her own divorce. Her background in psychology and her own experiences with family law prepared her for an area of law that requires a gentle yet firm demeanor, patience, and an understanding of parties’ emotions. Sangeetha enjoys representing individuals in this area of law, and her experience and emotional intelligence allows her to provide thoughtful guidance to her clients when they need to move forward from perhaps the most difficult times in their lives.
After practicing family law for approximately eight years at a reputable law firm in the Denver area, Sangeetha joined the bench as a magistrate (judicial officer) for almost two years in the Boulder County District Court. While Sangeetha’s position as a judicial officer was prestigious and provided her with invaluable experience, Sangeetha yearned for a more flexible lifestyle where she could be more available for her young children (currently ages four and eight) and be more involved in their upbringing. The life of a judicial officer did not allow her to be there for her family/children as much as she wanted, and a change was needed. After spending almost a year at a respectable family law firm in Denver after her magistrate position, Sangeetha has decided to change her focus and joined us as of counsel to open our Boulder office and focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation, Collaborative Law, Arbitration, Parenting Coordinator/Decision-Maker Appointments, and Child Legal Representative (“CLR”) work). With Sangeetha’s creativity and combined experience as a litigator and a judicial officer, Sangeetha will bring the unique perspectives of both an attorney and a judge to your case to help settle even the most high conflict of cases.
Sangeetha has an empathic nature, compassion for others. Sangeetha has learned to think like a judicial officer and used her time on the bench to hone her legal writing and trial skills. She is comfortable and experienced in the courtroom, she knows how judicial officers think and what they look for when making decisions, and will advocate strongly for you should your case proceed to a contested trial. However, Sangeetha’s ability to counsel clients away from unreasonable positions in a kind yet effective way typically results in her clients being able to settle the disputed issues before they end up in court.
Sangeetha lives in Boulder, CO with her husband and two young children (ages four and eight) who keep her very busy. When she gets a chance, Sangeetha plays the piano, flute, skis, and does ballroom dancing with her husband on the rare date night.
Areas of Practice
- Mediation (certified mediator)
- Arbitration
- Parenting Coordinator/Decision-Maker
- Child Legal Representative (“CLR”)
- Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) and Legal Separation
- Allocation of Parental Responsibility (Parenting Time and Decision-Making)
- Financial Support, including Child Support and Maintenance Issues
- Post-Decree Modifications of Orders
- Protection Orders, Motions to Restrict Parenting Time and other Emergency Issues
- Adoptions
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
- Boulder County Bar Association
- Colorado Bar Association and Family Law Section
- Colorado Collaborative Divorce Professionals
- South Asian Bar Association
- Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee
- Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee
- Minoru Yasui American Inn of Court
Education
- University of Colorado Law School, J.D. (2010)
- Boston University, Master of Arts
- Boston University, Bachelor of Arts
- Honors: Summa Cum Laude
- Major: Psychology
- Minor: Statistics
Honors & Awards
- Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Stars Edition, 2015-2020
Past Employment Positions
- Cooper Ramp Cage Bucar Lewis, LLC, Senior Associate Attorney-Denver, CO
- State of Colorado, Boulder County District Court, Magistrate in Domestic Relations-Boulder, CO
- The Harris Law Firm, Associate-Denver & Boulder, CO
- Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, Staff Counsel-Denver, CO
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Associate-Denver, CO