Sarah Schielke’s path to becoming a trailblazing civil rights attorney was anything but conventional. After a “series of bad life decisions” brought her to Colorado, the Boston University School of Law graduate started from scratch. With no experience or connections, Schielke boldly turned to Craigslist, offering discount legal services. “I can’t believe how many people look for lawyers on Craigslist because I got a ton of experience very quickly,” she recalled.
This unconventional start set the stage for Schielke’s groundbreaking career. In 2012, she opened the Life and Liberty Law Office, specializing in criminal defense and civil rights litigation. Schielke had to adapt and pave her way as a woman navigating a male-dominated field. “Everybody’s path is different, but there has to be some degree of adaptability to strong women who are getting to where I’m at, or where other women have gotten to, that men don’t have to do,” she explained. “What’s tricky is figuring out how to adapt without losing yourself and then trying to change it from within.”
Schielke’s unique strategy of releasing body camera footage to draw attention to her client’s cases has yielded remarkable results. In 2021, her release of footage depicting the violent arrest of Karen Garner, a woman with dementia, by Loveland police officers sparked national outrage. The city settled with Garner’s family for $3 million, far exceeding the typical settlement in similar cases.
Undeterred by threats of contempt charges, Schielke again released body camera footage in the case of Michael Clark, who Idaho Springs police officers brutally tased in his own home. The department ultimately settled for a record-breaking $7 million. Schielke framed the contempt citation, proudly wearing a T-shirt to her next court appearance that read, “My First Amendment rights were violated in Clear Creek County, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.”
For Schielke, courage means “trusting yourself, loving other people no matter what, and trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.” She believes in executing “the determination to fix a wrong that you see, or make things better, even if people are telling you ‘no,’ or especially if the people who are telling you ‘no’ have a lot of power and are scary.”
Schielke’s personal life has also shaped her approach to law and her interactions with the world. The loss of her father to cancer, just as she was starting to practice law, prompted her to reframe her life with gratitude, positivity, and forgiveness. “I think if my dad was still around and I hadn’t experienced that kind of amount of suffering and grief, I’d be very different today,” she reflected.
Sarah Schielke’s fearless pursuit of justice, adaptability in the face of challenges, and unwavering commitment to civil rights inspire aspiring attorneys and advocates. Her journey from Craigslist to courtrooms, shattering ceilings and records along the way, is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the courage to forge one’s path in the fight for what’s right.