Sarah Schielke’s trail to turning into an impressive civil rights lawyer in Colorado is as unconventional as inspiring. Her prison adventure started in 2010 with a daring transfer that many would possibly believe dangerous – posting an advert on Craigslist providing bargain prison services and products. This unorthodox way, born out of necessity after a series of what Schielke calls “dangerous lifestyles selections in my 20s,” proved the cornerstone of her long run luck.
Recent out of Boston College Faculty of Legislation and new to Colorado, Schielke had no paintings enjoy or prison connections. Her Craigslist advert introduced prison help without spending a dime or at minimum price, with the caveat that purchasers understood she was once studying. To her wonder, the reaction was once overwhelming, offering her with a wealth of enjoy in a short while.
In 2012, armed with this hands-on enjoy, Schielke took some other bounce via opening the Existence and Liberty Law Office. Right here, she specialised in legal protection and civil rights litigation, spaces she have been hooked in to since legislation college. Schielke’s solution to legislation has all the time been characterised via a steep studying curve, which she embraces wholeheartedly.
What units Schielke aside in civil rights legislation is her distinctive process of sharing frame digicam pictures from her shopper’s circumstances with the general public. This way has confirmed remarkably efficient, ceaselessly leading to settlements exceeding the everyday quantities for equivalent circumstances. Her luck on this house has been in particular notable in recent times.
One in every of Schielke’s maximum high-profile circumstances concerned Karen Garner, a girl with dementia who was once injured right through an arrest via Loveland police in June 2020. Through freeing the frame digicam pictures in April 2021, Schielke introduced the case to nationwide consideration, prompting inner and exterior evaluations of the incident and the dept. This resulted in legal fees towards two officials and a $3 million agreement for the Garner circle of relatives – a sum Schielke notes is considerably upper than the standard “going price” of lower than $100,000 for such circumstances.
Schielke’s have an effect on persevered in 2022 with a record-breaking $7 million agreement towards the Idaho Springs Police Division for a brutal tasing incident. Those achievements have earned her reputation as USA TODAY’s Girls of the Yr honoree for Colorado, acknowledging her vital contribution to civil rights legislation.
In spite of her luck, Schielke stays grounded and dedicated to her ideas. She perspectives braveness because the choice to mend wrongs and strengthen issues, even within the face of tough opposition. This philosophy was once glaring in what she considers her proudest second – status firm against a judge’s attempt to carry her in contempt for freeing frame digicam pictures in a Transparent Creek County case.
Schielke’s solution to legislation and lifestyles has been formed via non-public stories, together with shedding her father early in her profession. This profound loss made her reframe her viewpoint, embracing gratitude, positivity, and forgiveness. She believes in consistent studying and in the hunt for recommendation from the ones with extra enjoy, attributes that experience contributed to her luck in navigating advanced prison demanding situations.
Right through her profession, Schielke has demonstrated a singular skill to evolve with out compromising her values. She recognizes the extra demanding situations ladies face in her box and strives to create alternatives for different sturdy, clever ladies in her observe. Her tenet – that there are most effective just right other folks and just right other folks in ache – informs her compassionate solution to purchasers and adversaries.
Sarah Schielke’s tale considerations choice, innovation, and a deep dedication to civil rights. From her unconventional start on Craigslist to turning into a nationally known lawyer, she has constantly driven obstacles and challenged the established order. Her paintings secures justice for her purchasers and drives systemic trade in legislation enforcement practices.
As she continues to pave her manner in civil rights legislation, Schielke evokes aspiring lawyers and advocates for justice in every single place. Her distinctive mix of creativity, resilience, and unwavering dedication to her ideas has established her as a real trailblazer in Colorado’s prison panorama.
