Attorney, Legal Aid

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:

SARAH COHEN ’01, ATTORNEY, LEGAL AID

CO-FOUNDER OF FLORIDA ADVOCATES FOR SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Q: What is your favorite or some of your favorite memories from your time as a student at Benjamin? A: My favorite memories at Benjamin include launching rockets in Mr.

Sanders’ science class, playing varsity volleyball, and Mrs. Salivar’s

Spanish class. Benjamin was a great place for me. I made lifelong friends and received an excellent education. I can confidently say my time at TBS set me up for success in college and beyond.

Q: Did you have a teacher, coach, or mentor who inspired you? A: Benjamin has a lot of great educators and Barbara Murphy stands out as an exceptional teacher.

She engaged and challenged kids in her classes and she truly cared about her students. I am thankful we are still in touch today. Q: When did you know you wanted to practice law? What has your journey been like from law school to where you are today? A: Growing up, I thought I would be a doctor. Then I sat in college chemistry classes and knew that wasn’t the path for me! I wanted to help people and tried to get as much relevant experience in law school to help me decide on a practice area. I enjoyed both international law and juvenile law, so I interned at the Supreme Court of Uganda and Unified Family Court in St.

Petersburg, Florida. I quickly realized how much I enjoy working with and on behalf of children, and saw the need for representation of children in

Florida. Upon graduating law school,

I first volunteered at Legal Aid locally, then started working there when an opportunity arose with the

Foster Children’s Project.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring lawyers? A: Find your balance. Be prepared to work hard, but also make time for other things in your life — family, friends, self-care, etc.

Your career is a marathon, and you will not finish it if you burn out halfway through. Find what brings you joy and make time for that! For me, it’s spending time with family and friends, traveling, and collecting vintage cookbooks. Q: Can you tell me more about your work with Legal Aid? How long have you been with them and what type of work do you typically undertake? A: We are very lucky to have Legal Aid here in Palm Beach County; with more than 20 projects, we help people with a variety of legal issues ranging from domestic violence to fair housing to elder abuse. My work with the Foster Children’s

Project is both challenging and rewarding as I represent foster children in our community. For six years, I have worked in both

Belle Glade and West Palm Beach advocating for children.

Q: You recently moderated a debate.

What was that like?

A: Civic engagement is critical, and one way to be a responsible citizen is to become an informed voter. I was honored that When We All Vote

Palm Beach County Voting Squad asked me to moderate a debate focusing on five South County races. Opportunities like these allow voters to hear directly from the candidates on local issues.

Q: What else am I missing? A: In March 2020, I started a small business called Sarah’s Slow Jam, selling seasonal jams and jellies.

It has been a lot of fun so far!