While maintaining her appellate practice through pro bono service, Sarah now serves as Director of the Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono Project®, providing research, consulting, and infrastructure support to major law firms to strengthen their pro bono practices in the U.S. and around the world. With a passion for educating law students and members of the profession, Sarah has served as a clinical professor, guest lecturer for university and law school courses, and a continuing legal and judicial education presenter on topics including appellate practice, pro bono service, and professional development. She has been repeatedly recognized by Florida Super Lawyers, Florida Legal Elite, and Best Lawyers in America.

Tell us about your community growing up. Looking back, how did they shape who you are now?

I was fortunate to grow up in a diverse family and community. Having family and friends from different backgrounds and being exposed to many different cultures from an early age fostered a genuine curiosity and appreciation for what makes us each unique and what we have in common. In appellate practice, you learn to communicate with a wide array of audiences with different perspectives—clients, lawyers, judges, and many others, all with their own unique backgrounds. I know that experiencing diversity early on and seeking it out throughout my career have made me a better appellate advocate.

Describe your journey to law school. What motivated you to apply?

With a background in psychology and mathematics, I have always been fascinated by how systems function to serve the people they exist to support. I was drawn to the law because of the way it touches, and is often central to, systems that affect us every day. Having experienced financial adversity growing up, I was eager to learn how the justice system works for those of limited means and how it can be improved to better serve our communities. I saw the potential for using my voice to advocate for others and for developing solutions through well-informed policies and programs. I am proud to have had so many opportunities to do this in my private practice, board service, bar activities, and pro bono service over the course of my career. 

What was your law school experience like?

Law school can be a wonderful place for a budding appellate lawyer. Participating in moot court allows law students to get a flavor of what appellate practice is like. Through moot court, I was given opportunities to argue before state and federal judges and seasoned appellate practitioners. I learned so much through those experiences and forged lasting friendships. I was also fortunate to serve as a law review editor, an opportunity that allowed me to hone my writing skills. Through that experience and a robust research and writing program, I transitioned from a style developed through academic and creative writing to one centered on organization, clarity, and brevity. I am still able to embrace my creativity in my approach to appellate advocacy, and I’m grateful for a law school experience that helped me channel my skills in a way that is strategic and effective while also being authentic to who I am.

Did you know about appellate work in law school? If not, when and how did it first get on your radar and why were you drawn to it?

I learned about appellate practice in my first year of law school. Out of all my research and writing projects, drafting an appellate brief was by far my favorite. I enjoyed the thought and strategy that went into every word, every heading, and the overall structure of an argument. Brief-writing is a special type of written advocacy—it is both an art and a science. It requires careful attention to detail while being mindful of the big picture and how all the legal theories that are directly or indirectly involved interact. When it came to oral argument, I loved the combination of structure and flexibility in appellate oral advocacy. Being able to pivot in response to questions from the bench requires a command of your case inside and out. This is why I firmly believe that the key to a successful argument is “the three Ps”—preparation, preparation, preparation—a lesson I learned in law school that still holds true for me today.

Tell us about one of your appellate cases that you found particularly meaningful.

I had the pleasure of representing a client in her appeal of an adverse ruling in an eviction matter. She had a wonderful trial lawyer from her local legal aid organization (shout out to all my amazing friends in legal aid!). Her lawyer had secured a dismissal with prejudice of the eviction action against her, but the trial court retained jurisdiction over the deposit she had been ordered to place into the court registry rather than returning the funds to her. This result came after a hearing for which she was not given notice—a violation of her right to due process. The matter had already been taken on appeal from county to circuit court, where it was affirmed. Our only remaining avenue was the rarely granted relief of second-tier certiorari from the appellate court. I worked with my client’s trial lawyer to hone our arguments and present the many legal and policy reasons why the affirmance was a departure from the essential requirements of the law resulting in a manifest injustice. The appellate court agreed, and the opinion clarified the law on this issue, protecting my client and countless others in her position. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve my client and those similarly situated and will always consider this experience one of the most rewarding of my career. 

How often do you encounter other Asians and/or Pacific Islanders in the appellate field? Why do you think that representation is important?

If my experience were limited to my day-to-day practice, my answer would be “not very often.” But while practicing in Florida, in addition to joining the TAP community as a supporter and mentor, I was fortunate to connect with my local affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay (APABA-TB). I highly recommend getting involved in your local NAPABA affiliate. The AAPI community itself is very diverse, and the relationships you make will build bridges and broaden horizons. In moving to the DMV, I was sure to seek out and join APABA DC. I look forward to many opportunities to engage with the AAPI community here while maintaining the wonderful relationships I’ve enjoyed with my APABA-TB family. 

What advice would you give to a law student of color who aspires to be where you are now?

Own your space in this profession. Our justice system must reflect the communities it serves. As lawyers, we are a vital part of that system. If you encounter spaces where you don’t feel like you belong, those spaces are probably due for a change. Your presence, participation, and leadership help bring about that change, benefitting everyone. It’s also important to seek out communities where you do feel an automatic sense of acceptance and belonging, whether that comes from shared identities, allyship, friendship, or other support. Groups like TAP and minority bar associations foster camaraderie and relationship-building opportunities that support career development, lasting friendships, and personal and professional satisfaction. 

What’s one thing law schools and/or the appellate bar can do to ensure our highest courts are representative of all our communities?

Law school is a time when soon-to-be attorneys are forming their professional identities. It’s important that they see themselves in every corner of our profession. That includes the judiciary. When law schools and bar organizations invite judges from diverse backgrounds to speak and share their pathways to the bench, it plants a seed in the minds of law students and lawyers that this is a viable career path for them. These programs empower those interested in serving in this capacity through representation and by sharing tactical advice on the preparations needed to be in a position to apply when the opportunity arises.