Sara T. Wallitt - Williamsville, NY

Attorney Sara Wallitt has always enjoyed trying to understand and debate complicated issues. This interest is partly what led her to pursue a double major in economics and political science as an undergraduate at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. Sara graduated cum laude in 2003, and also received a Certificate of Managerial Studies with a concentration in public policy analysis from the Simon Business School.

In addition to a desire to explore, analyze, and understand complex issues, Sara also has a strong desire to help people who are in need of assistance. This desire led her to pursue a career in law, and she obtained her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 2006. While in law school, Sara was a member of both the Criminal Law Review and the Buffalo Journal of Gender, Law & Social Policy. She also participated in the law school’s Trial Technique program.

Sara held several law clerk positions while in school, allowing her to gain hands-on experience. After finishing her first year of law school, she worked as a summer law clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, where she worked on federal criminal cases. Under the supervision of a practicing attorney, she was able to handle a case from indictment to sentencing and, as part of that process, she had the opportunity to appear in court for the first time. Then, after finishing her second year of law school, Sara worked as a summer law clerk at a mid-size law firm in Syracuse, New York. She worked on a variety of matters including business litigation, insurance defense, estates and trusts, family law, and real estate. While at that firm, she got her first taste of the civil litigation process, and she was able to observe depositions and trials and perform substantive legal research. During her third year of law school, Sara began working at a boutique plaintiff’s personal injury firm in Buffalo, New York, working on cases involving clients who were injured as a result of the negligence of others. It was during this clerking position that Sara decided upon her future career path.

Sara knew that plaintiff’s personal injury was the area of law on which she wanted to focus her career upon graduation. She therefore accepted a permanent position from the firm where she was clerking. Sara passed the July 2006 bar exam and was admitted to practice in New York State in 2007. She then immediately began handling her own cases, including drafting pleadings, motions, and appellate briefs, appearing in court, doing trial work, and arguing appeals.

In January 2011, Sara joined William Mattar Law Offices as a Litigation Attorney, where she has continued to work to ensure that injured victims have a voice in the courtroom, serving as an advocate for her clients against insurance companies and defense firms. She is an active member of several professional associations. She thoroughly enjoys guiding her clients through the litigation process, counseling them regarding their options, and deciding upon and executing the best strategy for resolving their cases. Sara has tried over twenty cases before civil juries. She is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution including mediation and arbitration. For her outstanding work, Sara was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015.

Sara currently handles all types of personal injury litigation, including car crash cases, slip and falls, trip and falls, dog bites, construction accidents, and all other types of personal injury.

When asked what she enjoys most about working at William Mattar Law Offices, Sara said, “I became a trial lawyer because I wanted to help people. Working at William Mattar Law Offices allows me to do this every single day. I am passionate about advocating for my clients in order to help them regain what they have lost as a result of their personal injury accidents. It is important to me to form relationships with my clients so that I am able to understand how their lives have changed and how their injuries have affected them. This allows me to be their best advocate at trial, as well as when dealing with the insurance companies before trial.”

Sara resides in the Elmwood Village neighborhood of Buffalo, NY. She is a former long-distance runner, having completed four marathons as well as numerous half-marathons. She enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, traveling, dining out, and cooking.