Sara Watkins was initially drawn to the field of plaintiff litigation to pursue her passion of helping people in times of need. Her empathetic approach to client interaction allows her to better connect with clients, which, in turn, improves her abilities to represent them both in and out of court. Sara’s compassionate style is well balanced by her keen eye for intricate details and complex caselaw, which she uses to advocate for clients in areas including class actions, pharmaceutical and device cases, civil rights matters, personal injury lawsuits, and nursing home litigation.
Growing up in Shaler Township, Pennsylvania, Sara would eventually go to college at Washington & Jefferson College. There, she double majored in Political Science and Studio Art—two topics that represent her out-of-work interests. She then attended Duquesne University School of Law, where she earned a spot on the Duquesne University Law Review and acted as the President of the Jewish Law Student Association.
Over the course of her career, Sara has settled several cases in excess of a million dollars and tried cases to verdict in Pennsylvania. Sara’s achievements have been recognized by federal courts with formal leadership appointments in MDL 3092, In Re: Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Film Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation and MDL 3021, In Re: SoClean, Inc., Marketing, Sales Practices & Products Liability Litigation.
Sara serves on the Board of Governors for the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA), a service-oriented group that supports the rights of injured people. She has also been selected as a “Top 40 Under 40” by The National Trial Lawyers. Sara is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, American Bar Association, and American Association for Justice (AAJ), Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and WPTLA.
In addition to her litigation work, Sara volunteers her legal services to transgender members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking name change petitions through the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s “Name Change Project.”
Outside of work, Sara is an artist, working on several paintings each year. She considers this a passionate hobby and creative outlet that flows into her practice.
“The creative side of my personality has taught me to see legal issues from a different perspective and explore unique resolutions.”
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
Education
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Double Major in Political Science and Studio Art (2015)
- Duquesne University School of Law
Published Works
- State Anti-BDS Laws Counteracting the BDS Movement… And the Constitution, 56 DUQ. L. REV. 199 (2018)
