Sarah Neuman, ’15, Shares her Journey to Making Partner
How I Made Partner: 'No Task Is Too Small,' Says Sarah Neuman of Wilkinson Stekloff
Law school and year of graduation: The University of Chicago Law School, 2015
The following has been edited for style.
How long have you been at the firm?
I joined the firm as an associate over seven years ago, in October 2017.
What was your criteria in selecting your current firm?
Although I left law school thinking I would do appellate work, during my district court clerkship I fell in love with trial work. Coming out of my two clerkships, I hoped to find a law firm where I could develop into a top-notch trial lawyer and get meaningful and substantive experience early on. The icing on the cake was Wilkinson Stekloff’s innovative model, the firm’s tight-knit feel (which was apparent even during my interviews), and the opportunity to learn from the very best trial lawyers in the country.
Were you an associate at another firm before joining your present firm? If so, which one and how long were you there?
I summered at two other firms, but I have not otherwise practiced at any firm other than Wilkinson Stekloff.
What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you partner? Was it your performance on a specific case? A personality trait? Making connections with the right people?
At a high level, making partner was about demonstrating strategic judgment and earning the trust of our clients. It was about showing I could manage teams and cases and take ownership of and execute on major aspects of our matters. And it was about being a good citizen of the firm, seeking out opportunities for junior team members, and paying forward the mentorship I’ve received in my time at the firm.
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