Unconventional Solutions: Sarah Schielke’s Innovative Approach to Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Law

Sarah Schielke, the founder of The Life & Liberty Law Office in Loveland, Colorado, has always been a rebel in the legal world. From the very beginning of her career, she rejected the traditional path followed by many attorneys, choosing instead to forge her own way and build a practice that reflects her unique perspective and values.

Schielke’s outsider mentality is evident in how she started her law office. Rather than joining an established firm or following the typical career trajectory, she struck out on her own, opening a practice focused on criminal defense and civil rights law. This decision allowed her to pursue cases that aligned with her passions and approach them in a way that felt authentic to her.

“There is not one ‘way’ to do anything,” Sarah Schielke explains. “But boy have I heard that more times than I can count in my career. Forget that. I want to make change. To make change, you gotta believe in yourself, and you gotta bust out some new ideas, every day. And that’s what I do. [I’m] able to come up with unconventional solutions to problems that [my] clients face all the time.”

Sarah Schielke’s Unconventional Methods

Schielke’s unconventional methods are rooted in her belief that the traditional ways of doing things in the legal system often fail to serve the best interests of her clients. She’s not afraid to think outside the box and to challenge established practices and narratives within the legal community.

One example is her frequent rejection of mediation, a common practice in legal disputes. Schielke believes that mediation often doesn’t work in her clients’ favor, with mediators acting as agents of the system rather than neutral parties. “99 times out of 100,” Schielke says, “mediation is just another angle that insurers have come up with to get themselves a discount. I don’t do discounts. If you hurt my client, I make sure you pay full value for the harm inflicted. Everyone suffers when insurers, cities, and cops believe a mediation down the line will help them get an accountability discount.” Schielke says she prefers to take a more direct approach, communicating with the opposing side and clearly stating her case’s value.

Schielke’s outsider perspective also informs her willingness to take on cases other attorneys might shy away from. She’s passionate about fighting for the underdog and preserving civil rights, and she recognizes that the erosion of civil liberties often begins with infractions like DUI arrests. By taking on these cases and challenging the system, Schielke aims to protect the rights of all citizens, particularly those from vulnerable populations.

Schielke’s road to building her law practice and handling cases hasn’t always been easy. As an outsider, she’s faced challenges and resistance from more traditional members of the legal community. However, her commitment to her clients and her belief in the power of creative problem-solving have allowed her to thrive despite these obstacles, obtaining record-breaking settlements and winning at trial cases others thought impossible.

In many ways, Sarah Schielke’s outsider status has been a key factor in her success. By refusing to conform to the expectations and norms of the legal world, she’s been able to develop a unique and effective approach to criminal defense and civil rights law. In her own words, she employs “a lot of unconventional solutions and creative ideas and whatever it takes. There’s always a different way to do it. And the ways that everybody else has been doing things are, a lot of the times, some of the stupidest stuff I ever heard in my life.”

As Sarah Schielke continues to build her practice and fight for her clients’ rights, her outsider mentality remains a defining characteristic of her work. Her example inspires other attorneys who may feel constrained by the traditional expectations of the legal profession, showing that there’s always room for new perspectives and approaches in the fight for justice.

“I’m not sure we can call me an outsider anymore,” Schielke adds, “So many of my early skeptics are now some of my best friends. It’s probably the most ‘me’ thing about how I work and live – my insistence on doing it with joy.”