Vanessa S. Ibarra

Deputy City Attorney

Practice Areas

General municipal and transactional law practice, including drafting and reviewing ordinances, resolutions, contracts and other legal documents, as well as advising various City departments, including the Department of Public Works and the Library Services Department.

Background and Experience

Vanessa S. Ibarra primarily practices in the areas of municipal law, public contracts, related transactional matters, and advises various City departments including Public Works and the Library Services Department.  She also counsels City commissions and committees including the Transaction & Use Tax Citizens’ Advisory Committee and others. Ms. Ibarra also advises the American with Disabilities Act Bureau and the Measure A Bureau in the City Manager’s Office.   

Ms. Ibarra previously served as Deputy City Attorney for the cities of Bell Gardens, Buena Park, Chico, Commerce, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Montebello, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Pomona and Vernon through the law office of Alvarez-Glasman & Colvin. She was also the Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel at Hispanic Grocers, Inc.  

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ms. Ibarra worked for U.S. Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (32nd District of California, formerly representing the 38th District) coordinating her Mental Health Taskforce and serving as a liaison to multiple Los Angeles County cities. Ms. Ibarra also worked at The Center for Conflict Resolution of Loyola Law School providing mediation and conciliation services to communities throughout Los Angeles County.

Professional Affiliations

Ms. Ibarra is a member of the State Bar of California. She is admitted to practice law in California and before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  She is a member of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, the Mexican American Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Education

Ms. Ibarra received her Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in Political Science from California State University, San Bernardino. She was selected to attend the prestigious Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute of Public Policy to work in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Congresswoman Doris Okada Matsui. She was a visiting undergraduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School where she served as the Associate Chief Justice of the Scott Moot Court Honors Board. She was a visiting law student at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China.