About Sam
Sam Ballingrud is a senior associate in the Environmental, Safety & Health Practice based in the Washington DC office.
Prior to joining the firm, Sam served as a law clerk to Magistrate Judge Nina Y. Wang of the US District Court for the District of Colorado. During this time, he managed part of the judge’s docket, wrote orders, attended conferences and discussed case matters. Sam also served as a law clerk to Justice Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court, where he drafted opinions and dissents, and researched and wrote memoranda on petitions for certiorari.
Following his time clerking, Sam worked for a major regional law firm in Denver before joining Squire Patton Boggs in Denver. He then worked for the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch before rejoining the firm in the Washington DC office.
Credentials
Education
- University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2017
- American University, B.A., 2013
Admissions
- District of Columbia, 2025
- Colorado, 2018
- Florida, 2017
Recognitions
- Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America 2023 and 2024 for Commercial Litigation in Denver
Expertise
Services
- Litigation
- Environmental, Safety & Health
Publications & Speaking Engagements
Co-author, “Is the President Democratically Accountable?” Reuters, December 19, 2025.
Co-author, “High Court Order On Board Firings Is Cold Comfort For Fed,” Law360, June 4, 2025.
Speaker, “Leaded Aviation Fuel: EPA Proposed Clean Air Act Endangerment Finding,” Strafford webinar, January 25, 2023.
Speaker, “Long-term Supply of Critical Minerals Affected by Permitting Delays,” Mining & Metallurgical Society of America webinar, May 6, 2022.
Author, “When Mergers Create D&O Insurance Complications,” Law360, February 2021.
Co-author, “Insight Into the DOJ's Updated Guidance on Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs,” Law.com, July 2019.
Co-author, “How to Protect Search Terms in Internal Investigations,” Law360, November 2017.