Influential Woman · Law - Criminal Defense
Sarah Krolikowski
Attorney At Law, Krolikowski Law, LLC
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Her Story
About Sarah
I've been in criminal defense for coming up on 5 years now, after starting my own law firm when I left the District Attorney's office. I was a prosecutor for about 7 years and interned for two and a half years before that. I like to say I ran from putting people in jail to getting them out. My firm has two attorneys, myself and my husband, who left his prosecution job to join me. We handle everything from traffic tickets to homicides, though we obviously prefer the traffic ticket portion. We do non-juries, juries, and protection from abuse orders. A significant part of our work is pro bono, particularly name change petitions focused on the LGBTQ+ Community and working with domestic violence advocacy groups. Sometimes victims fight back against their abusers and unfortunately end up with criminal charges, so we handle those preliminary hearings pro bono to help get them out of the criminal justice system and back into therapeutic locations that are better for them and their families. We handle everything in-house from IT to advertising to our website control, so I've learned slightly more than turn the computer off and turn it back on to see if that fixes the IT problem. What I find most rewarding is giving people a voice that they don't otherwise have one in the system. A lot of times when we're hearing about cases, you look at the charge, you look at the crime, and you don't look back and say who is this person, how did we get here, and how do we avoid getting here again. Particularly with my younger clients, I think it's really important that we focus on the fact that we're here today, we get that, but how can we make sure you never have to be a part of the criminal justice system again- I'm the attorney you never want to have twice. You want to never be in the criminal justice system again, and that's what I always tell my clients. I hope you never have to deal with me again, but if you do, I'm here for you.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it has to probably be the mentor and mentee aspect that I really try to push in my work. I really try to focus with the law schools, with the Bar Association of Allegheny County, trying to connect and help push forward, particularly women, in the field. When I was in law school, I was a single mom, and so I really try to push that narrative that there is no right time, there is no right person, there is no right way to be successful in this. The "old boys club" has worked for a ridiculously long time because the old boys club help each other out, and they do mentor each other, and they do sort of manipulate decisions and pathways for their chosen people. So why can't we do that? Why can't we take that and manipulate it the same way, but to put our better, smarter, more qualified women in those positions? So I really try to do that a lot, and try to push others to do the same.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I had a mentor tell me it was time to move on. I was getting stagnant in my position and I think it showed. During that time I was very comfortable and confident in the work space I had created. However, I was not really pushing myself, pushing others or even being given the chance to push the system as much as I should have been. I had become complacent and I think this particular mentor is someone that did not find it acceptable to settle for your baseline. If you can do more, you should. She felt like it was a duty for me to keep gaining ground for myself and others because quite simply, I could.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
First of all, the fact that they are even asking for advice and putting themselves out there puts them light years ahead of where I was. Do exactly that - reach out, meet new people, say this is what I want to be, let me find someone who I can look at, who I can take characteristics from. Something that I did when I was younger is I would watch people in trial. I would find some people whose style is similar to mine. If you find somebody who you can take pieces and bits from and say I like how they do their cross, I'm gonna cross like that - there was a woman in my office named Steffi who was amazing at cross, she had an awesome Southern drawl, and I watched her do crosses because she was exceptional at crosses and took advice from there. There was someone else who I really liked their openings, so if I know she's opening, I'm gonna go watch her. Take advantage of who you know, who you can meet, and I promise you, 99% of people who you ask to meet or ask questions of will say yes and want to help you. So make the ask.
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