2023 Up & Coming Awards: Sarah Duggan, 36

Of Counsel, Sarah Duggan Law / Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian, Kansas City

Practice Areas: Plaintiff employment law

Law School: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

A former restaurant employee and police officer, Sarah Duggan is passionate about her quest to advocate for people who are experiencing workplace discrimination. “Before I went to law school, I experienced sex discrimination myself,” she says. “I was confused about the intricate administrative process leading up to a lawsuit against my employer. I decided I would go to law school so I could help advocate for people who were in a position similar to mine.”

During law school, she volunteered with the Midwest Innocence Project, working on Kevin Strickland’s case and representing indigent criminal defendants. She also organized events to educate law students about their constitutional rights and to share post-conviction success stories.

In her current practice, Duggan works hard to educate people about how to identify and document workplace abuse and about their recourse through Missouri’s legal system. She also hosts educational events to help raise awareness about discrimination among service industry workers.

One of Duggan’s favorite moments as an attorney happened when she walked into a room with five powerful women who had all been discriminated against by their employer. “As they sat across the table from their former employer, each of them stood up for themselves against the goliath of a company and demanded justice,” she recalls. “I loved that I got to facilitate that.”

Duggan’s best advice for young lawyers: “Always be kind to your clients, opposing counsel, judges, colleagues. The nature of our work is contentious, and we consistently have to advocate for ourselves and clients. Doing so with kindness and empathy makes everyone better in the end.”

What is the best career advice you have received?

To be yourself. There is no one way to be a lawyer. Genuine conversations and connections translate to better results for your clients and your reputation.

What is your biggest accomplishment for 2023?

I became an adjunct professor of law, teaching trial advocacy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.