Sarah L. Bakker
About Sarah
An energetic and driven advocate, Sarah prioritizes listening to her clients and working closely with them to achieve the most productive resolution possible in each set of circumstances. Her practice spans both state and federal court, as well internal investigations. She has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of matters, including employment disputes, business litigation, Title IX matters, civil rights litigation, and criminal cases. Sarah has experience negotiating severance agreements and working with employers to ensure proper accommodations are provided to individuals with disabilities. As part of her employment work, she has also represented clients before the IDHR and EEOC.
Additionally, Sarah has an active pro bono practice focused on vindicating the rights of individuals in the criminal justice system. She successfully argued an appeal that resulted in the resentencing and release of an individual unconstitutionally sentenced to life imprisonment. She also successfully appealed the denial of an individual’s veterans benefits. In addition, she has assisted numerous clients in obtaining asylum and lawful permanent resident status.
Sarah serves as a team-teaching member of the University of Chicago Law School Intensive Trial Practice Workshop and previously served on the Young Professionals Board of the John Howard Association.
Sarah graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as the Executive Editor of the University of Chicago Legal Forum and represented indigent clients in federal court through the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic. Prior to joining SPPP, Sarah clerked on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for the Honorable Joel M. Flaum and on the Northern District of Illinois for the Honorable John J. Tharp, Jr. Sarah began her career as an associate in the litigation group at Sidley Austin LLP. She earned her bachelor’s degrees magna cum laude in English and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Awards
-Joseph Henry Beale Prize for best performance in University of Chicago Law School Legal Research and Writing section
-Ann Watson Barber Award for outstanding service to the University of Chicago Law School
Bar Admissions
Sarah is a member of the Illinois bar and is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Michigan, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.