Sarah helps clients proactively address labor and employment matters, creating an inclusive and welcoming culture for their employees. She practices from Kirksville, Missouri as a member of our virtual office, The Link.
Sarah focuses on preventative counsel, guiding clients through compliance with federal and state employment regulations. Her goal is always to solve problems before they evolve into litigation: time as a federal law clerk early in her career showed Sarah how much litigation can be prevented simply through better legal counsel early and proactive employment practices. She is passionate about helping companies do the right thing for both their people and their businesses. While she does have a background in litigation, Sarah’s approach is to find creative resolutions and keep problems from turning into lawsuits.
Sarah is particularly knowledgeable about various Fair Chance and Ban-the-Box laws, which aim to reduce employment barriers for individuals with conviction histories, and she regularly helps employers develop compliant policies and hiring practices. Based in Missouri but barred in California as well, Sarah has extensive experience advising on California’s Fair Chance Act and has the knowledge to assist employers across the country as these protections expand to additional states, counties, and cities. Sarah regularly advises companies on the legalities of background checks, helping businesses understand their obligations and how background check information can and cannot be used in hiring and retention. Her work also includes counseling clients who use background checks at other times in their operations, such as mortgage lenders, whom she advises on the intersection of background checks with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Sarah also offers clients practical guidance on legal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Previously, Sarah served as an interim director for Legal Aid at Work, where she helped individuals with records navigate background checks and employment law. The experience showed her that many employers may believe they’re acting legally but may not be fully aware of all the nuances in the many laws governing background checks. She found that education and policy development can resolve most problems before they escalate. Sarah also provided extensive training to employees and employers on these issues, and she continues to offer both virtual and on-site training for clients on a range of employment law topics, including anti-discrimination and harassment laws and creating inclusive, safe workspaces. After a prior career as a high school Spanish teacher, she excels at educating clients and creating hypothetical scenarios that bring fun and engagement to her training sessions.
Sarah truly enjoys interacting with clients and communicating with employers, and she loves blending personal, human circumstances with a legal perspective. An excellent advocate, she has a gift for resolving matters amicably, and she continues to see herself as an educator. If there’s one thing Sarah learned from her time in the classroom, it was how to communicate information clearly. Clients value her dedication to ensuring that they have understood her counsel—and that she has understood their businesses. With a reputation for walking with clients through difficult situations, Sarah is known for having the vision to help companies improve and move forward.