GBA Member Spotlight: Sarah Roane

Sarah Roane is a Pro Se Law Clerk with the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.  Her work involves researching and drafting opinions for United States Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld involving Social Security administrative appeals and state prisoner habeas petitions under 28 U.S.C. § 2254.  Sarah has been licensed as an attorney in North Carolina since 1997.   

What do you enjoy most about practicing law in our community?

The collegiality of our local bar is very special.  The GBA provides so many opportunities for lawyers and judges to socialize with each other outside the more formalized settings in which we work.  These opportunities have been truly meaningful for me, and help to round out my experience as a lawyer, because I do not represent clients or interact much with other lawyers in my job.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the legal field?

The two pieces of advice I would give to any law student are to 1) take every opportunity you can to network within the legal community where you want to practice, and 2) not sell yourself short when applying for jobs.  Attend local bar association and Inn of Court meetings.  Sign up to be mentored by veteran attorneys in your area.  You never know when a hiring manager, having previously met you at a function, might decide to give you a shot, even if your credentials (at least on paper) do not meet some minimum requirement.  That happened to me back in 1997, and that job then opened doors to other jobs and changed the trajectory of my legal career.    

What is one lesson you’ve learned during your career that you think is important for others to know?

One of the biggest teaching moments I experienced in my career happened about ten years ago.  I was fundraising for a project, and a very kind woman, upon learning of the fundraiser’s cause, whipped out her checkbook and, without hesitation, wrote out a check for $100.  After she walked away, I looked down at the check and realized she had been a plaintiff in a lawsuit against one of my former clients when I was in private practice.  In the midst of the litigation, I had viewed her in a negative light, but that day, I met her as a selfless, generous colleague.  That moment continues to serve as a good reminder that there are always two sides to every story and that, no matter how contentious litigation may be, there is human being on the other side of that “v.”