Sarah French Russell ’02, who also earned her B.A. from Yale, became the fourth director of the Liman Program, a leading voice in public interest law that focuses on developing innovative responses to an array of problems related to access to justice.
She replaced Deborah Cantrell, who left to join the University of Colorado School of Law at Boulder.
After completing her J.D., Russell clerked for Chief Judge Michael B. Mukasey in the Southern District of New York and for Judge Chester J. Straub on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She then joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office in New Haven where, as an Assistant Federal Defender, she represented indigent clients facing federal criminal charges. There she achieved a number of victories, including persuading judges to grant motions to suppress the evidence, and obtaining sentences below the applicable sentencing guidelines--which she felt were excessively harsh.
“My goal was to help the judge see my client as a person, understand the context of the crime, and see hope for my client’s future. I felt great satisfaction when my client was understood by the judge and received a sentence below the range provided by the sentencing guidelines.”
Her drive to help others, Russell says, stems from the extraordinary educational opportunities she’s had. She says she feels a deep sense of duty to use her education to help those most in need of her skills, and she credits her family with teaching her the importance of public service.
“They taught me that giving back to the community and finding ways to help others is part of living a full and engaged life.”
Yale Law School was another strong influence on Russell, reinforcing her commitment to the public interest. She worked in the Advocacy for Parents and Children Clinic, part of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, where she represented parents and children in neglect proceedings. She also interned in the Capital Defense Clinic at the Connecticut Public Defender's Office, working on capital cases pending in the state. She says the clinical work and class work at Yale Law School helped her determine her interests and provided her with valuable skills.
“A class in sentencing and one on capital punishment were major influences,” she says. “I found wonderful mentors on the faculty here. I was perhaps most motivated and inspired by my classmates, and the commitment that many had to pursuing public interest careers.”
As she was once inspired, Russell now hopes to inspire others, through the Liman Program and in the classes she teaches in Public Interest Lawyering. She also hopes to contribute to legal scholarship in the area of criminal justice. An award-winning figure skating champion and former captain of the Yale women’s varsity ice hockey team, Russell says she’s thrilled to be back at Yale and “captaining” the Liman Public Interest Program.
“The Liman Program just celebrated its tenth anniversary and has done incredible work during the past decade. I hope to increase the involvement of Yale Law students with the program and, through our Liman Project, which allows students to work with current and former Liman Fellows, help students develop mentoring relationships with the Fellows and explore career opportunities in public interest law.”