By 
Sarah Schielke has forged an unconventional path in legal advocacy from a humble Craigslist advertisement to record-breaking civil rights settlements. After graduating from Boston University School of Law in 2008, she moved to Colorado for a fresh start, offering discounted legal services to build her practice from the ground up. “I can’t believe how many people look for lawyers on Craigslist,” she recalls, noting how quickly she gained experience through this unusual approach.
The founding of her Life and Liberty Law Office in 2012 marked the beginning of a revolutionary strategy in civil rights litigation. Without the constraints of traditional legal mentorship, Schielke developed a distinctive approach centered on public transparency, mainly through the strategic release of police body camera footage.
This method proved transformative in the Karen Garner case, where she represented a woman with dementia injured during a Loveland police arrest. By publicizing the body camera footage in April 2021, Schielke brought national attention to the case, leading to criminal charges against two officers and a $3 million settlement far exceeding the typical $100,000 settlement for similar cases.
Currently, Schielke is challenging the Fort Collins Police Services with five lawsuits over alleged wrongful DUI arrests by former officer Jason Haferman. The cases reveal a disturbing pattern where at least 17 people were wrongfully arrested in a single year, with blood tests consistently proving their innocence. The impact on victims was severe, including job losses, missed promotions, and prolonged emotional trauma. Some parents even faced child abuse investigations simply because their children were present during these unfounded arrests.
Her investigation exposed significant oversight failures, including supervisors’ failure to review body camera footage despite Haferman’s pattern of disabling or muting his camera in violation of Colorado law. When confronted with these issues, department leadership defended the arrests rather than addressing the problems, prompting Schielke to demand the chief’s resignation.
The success of her transparency-focused approach is further demonstrated by a record-breaking $7 million settlement against the Idaho Springs Department in 2022 for a tasing incident. This victory followed another proud moment when she faced potential contempt charges for releasing body camera footage in Clear Creek County, standing firm in her commitment to public disclosure despite judicial pressure.
Personal tragedy has profoundly influenced Schielke’s approach to law. The loss of her father to cancer early in her career led to a deeper understanding of human suffering and resilience. This experience shapes her belief that “there are two types of people: good people, and good people in pain.”
Her academic background includes graduating magna cum laude from Middlebury College with a psychology degree before attending law school on a full academic merit scholarship. These achievements and her innovative legal strategies earned her recognition as USA TODAY’s Women of the Year honoree for Colorado.
For Schielke, courage means confronting wrongdoing despite powerful opposition. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and seeking guidance from experienced colleagues when facing challenges. Her success is supported by a solid personal foundation, including her husband, who serves as a stay-at-home father to their children.
Through her groundbreaking approach to civil rights litigation, Schielke has secured justice for individual clients and driven significant changes in police accountability. Her work demonstrates how innovative legal strategies, combined with unwavering commitment to transparency, can transform the landscape of civil rights advocacy while setting new standards for justice in Colorado and beyond.
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