
ince my teens, striving for and achieving academic and professional excellence while also driving culture change happened naturally, as a matter of self-preservation and protection of others. My fellow lawyers know me not only for my many professional accomplishments in intense, high-powered positions of increasing responsibility, but also as a leader in inclusion, equity and justice throughout my entire career.
Long before “diversity” became just another popular buzzword and lucrative cottage industry, these precepts have been integral to my practice of law and also my personhood.
As one of few Black women in longstanding, mostly white and male-dominated institutions, I developed and honed sharp listening, learning and survival skills, the better to navigate unfamiliar courtrooms and unwelcoming environments, while working to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients.
I arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire as a shy, sheltered 16-year-old Dartmouth freshman from Brooklyn, New York.
I quickly became acquainted with open racism, sexism and biases impossible to ignore; fellow students brought them directly to my door.
In addition to the rigorous academic demands of a world-class education, being a Black woman at Dartmouth (which had only been co-ed for fifteen years when I graduated) also required me to develop special tools that have served me well as a successful trial lawyer.
It has often been said that “trial lawyers are born, not made.” As a Fellow in the prestigious E. Barrett Prettyman/Stuart Stiller program at the Criminal Justice Clinic at Georgetown Law I tried my first criminal case (a serious felony) to a defense verdict only six months after obtaining my J.D. from Boston University, while still awaiting my upcoming swearing-in to the bar.
My personal and professional experiences in Hanover and beyond necessitated self-assurance, the ability to speak persuasively and the development of strong, accurate instincts in reading the room. These are all particular areas of strength and competitive advantage for me.
My passion for trial work, strong advocacy skills and sharp intuition have grown deeper over decades since that first successful, memorable trial verdict being read into the record on a rainy Friday afternoon after 4 hours of deliberation, clearing my client to return to his family.
My career trajectory reflects a unique blend of public service, small and large law firm success in matters across the country and in-house corporate experience managing large scale, high-risk matters globally, as well as outside vendors and outside counsel spend.
My time as a well-respected campus leader in the 1980s set me on a firmly established path as an antiracism and anti-bias educator and activist.
I am a sought after speaker and presenter on substantive legal issues, legal career development and mentoring of attorneys, and social justice and equity issues affecting the communities where we live and work.
I would be delighted to speak with you about how I can put my considerable and varied skills to work for you.
Often, I have sat in courtrooms in the row reserved only for members of the bar and been confused, for criminal defendants by fellow lawyers showing up to meet their clients for the first time.
I have arrived to conference rooms across the country, carrying a trial bag, case files and the Rules of Civil Procedure, only to be advised by opposing counsel of the most accessible plug in the room so that I could plug in my stenographer equipment.
Before information was so readily accessible on the internet, I had opposing counsel in Virginia refuse to shake my hand when they met me and learned I was not white. I also fired an expert in Michigan for making violently racist, stereotypical comments about Black people, who protested that I “didn’t sound Black” when I explained why his services would not be needed.
The best response to these sorts of incidents is to win. Resoundingly. To be underestimated is a gift.
She understands the law, but more valuably, she understands people
She knows her areas of expertise as you always hope an expert would. She is seasoned by notably diverse experiences. She has not only the insight but the awareness and adaptability to handle any situation – including knowing when outside help is required – and of what type.
Yet perhaps most remarkably, Sandy combines incisiveness with deep empathy. She understands the law, but more valuably, she understands people – from why and how they posture in negotiations and in court, to the deep-seated, often subconscious biases that can lie behind their beliefs and behaviors, particularly across and within cultures. She is a deeply caring person with profound integrity who views the world through honest eyes, while always retaining a pragmatic clarity of what should and needs to get done.
— Craig D Bamsey, Founding Partner, Chief Strategy Officer, Fathom+Hatch LLC