For nearly fifteen years, lawyer Sarah Bruns has been aggressively protecting the rights of her clients in Northern Virginia. Sarah joined The Laurel Brigade Law Group after having built a successful practice as a solo attorney, working on criminal and civil cases through every phase of litigation before all local courts and Virginia appellate courts.
Sarah is able to manage client relationships by understanding and prioritizing their goals. This involves correctly assessing the merits of a position within the case circumstances and maintaining frequent communication with both the clients and the other parties in the case. Her extensive experience in litigation is an asset to her clients in the courtroom. Yet she also believes in the value of out-of-court client counseling and a zealous negotiation. Her clients can trust that she has the skills to advocate for them both in and out of the courtroom.
Sarah’s practice includes Family Law cases, including Divorce, Child Custody and Visitation, Child Support, Protective Orders, Child Protective Services, and Child Abuse and Neglect cases. Your family is so important to you. Family law cases can affect your children, your money and assets, and also your emotional well-being. Divorces and custody disputes are financially and personally draining, but Sarah will strive to prevent it from being devastating also.
Further, as a former public defender for Loudoun County, criminal defense is a passion, and Sarah has defended individuals charged with very serious crimes in many jury trials, and hundreds of bench trials in cases involving property, drug, and violent crimes. Sarah has experience representing clients charged with Murder, Rape, Robbery, Theft, and Drug Possession/Distribution. Sarah also has extensive experience in representing clients charged with traffic offenses such as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI/DUI), Reckless Driving, Driving on a Suspended License, and Hit and Run. While some crimes carry more severe penalties than others, Sarah handles every client’s case knowing that it is the most important one for that client. She believes that no client should be treated as if their issue is of little consequence.
Also, Sarah has been qualified to serve as a Guardian ad Litem for children in the Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. In this role, she ensures that the interests of the most vulnerable individuals are not forgotten.
At the outset of her career, Sarah clerked for the Honorable William D. Hamblen of the Circuit Court of Prince William County. There, she learned firsthand what a judge expects from attorneys regarding professional behavior and effective advocacy. Sarah continues to use this insight to make winning arguments for her clients.
Sarah believes that bettering herself and the community benefits everyone, especially her clients. She spends her spare time volunteering within and outside of the legal community. She is an Officer and a member of the Board of Directors for the Loudoun Community Cat Coalition, a prominent local 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization. She also fosters cats and kittens and goes out in the field to engage in TNR (trap, neuter, return). If you have some spare time, ask her about it, she’d love to tell you all about it.
Sarah is also a mentor for the Thomas D. Horne Leadership in the Law Program, where high school students work with local judges, lawyers, law clerks and other professionals to learn about the law. In her free time, Sarah is an avid cyclist and can been seen along the W&OD trail and the many gravel roads of Loudoun County.
Bar Admissions
- Virginia State Bar, 2006
Education
- George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, VA
- JD – 2006
- Third Year Writing Fellow (Legal Research and Writing Program)
- Centre College, Danville, KY
- B.A., 2003
- Government & English
Community and Professional Associations
- Virginia Women Attorneys Association, Loudoun Chapter, member, 2020 – present
- Loudoun County Bar Association, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Bench Bar Committee, 2020 – present
- Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations General District Court, Best Practices Committee, 2019 – present
- Loudoun County Bar Association, Judicial Qualification and Evaluation Committee, 2019 – present
- Loudoun Community Cat Coalition, Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary, 2016 – present
- Loudoun County Bar Association, member, 2011- present
- Mentor, and Committee Member
- Thomas D. Horne Leadership in the Law Program, volunteer, mentor and committee member, 2008 – present
Past Employment Positions
- Sarah Bruns Law PLLC, owner, 2019-2021
- Zinicola, Blanch & Overand, Associate, 2011-2019
- Office of the Public Defender, Leesburg, Assistant Public Defender, 2007-2011
- Prince Willian County Circuit Court, Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable William D. Hamblen, 2006-2007
