ABOUT SARAH

Sarah Elizabeth Spencer Willson is a commercial litigator and appellate advocate licensed in Utah and Colorado. She has admission rights before the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal circuit courts of appeal. Sarah has obtained pro hac vice admission for cases in Idaho, Nevada, and California.

With twenty years of litigation and appellate advocacy experience, Sarah focuses on resolving complex legal disputes. Her practice covers contract issues, fiduciary duties, corporate governance, fraud, trusts, principal-agent conflicts, real property disputes, business torts, product liability, premises liability, professional liability, and other high-stakes scenarios. She has achieved significant victories, including securing summary judgments in major exposure cases and successfully upholding these decisions on appeal.

As an experienced appellate counsel, Sarah has served as lead counsel in dozens of appeals, covering all aspects of appellate litigation. Her experience spans appeals of interlocutory orders, preliminary injunctions, final judgments, and immediate appeals in admiralty/maritime law and Section 1983 qualified immunity cases. She also handles appeals of trial verdicts.

Sarah's interest in law began in childhood, winning an essay contest in 6th grade about her aspirations to become a lawyer. She accelerated her education, starting college at 13 and law school at 18. She earned her B.A. by 16 and her J.D. by 21, becoming the youngest graduate of her undergraduate and law programs at the time of her graduation.

Professional Experience

SpencerWillson, PLLC, Salt Lake City, Utah, President, Co-Founder & Managing Attorney (January 2024 to present) 

Christensen & Jensen, P.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, Vice-President, Shareholder, Director, Attorney (2007 to 2023) 

Utah State Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts, Judicial Law Clerk (2006 to 2007) 

Hall & Evans, PLLC, Denver, Colorado, Attorney (2005) 

Colorado Judicial Branch, Second Judicial District, Denver, Colorado, Judicial Law Clerk (2004 to 2005) 

Awards & Honors

Sarah is the 2023-2024 chair of the Appellate Advocacy Committee of DRI and is an executive committee member of the Utah State Bar Appellate Practice Section. She is also a member of the Amicus Committee of the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy. She chaired the Appellate Practice Section of the Utah State Bar. She has published and spoken extensively on issues relevant to her practice.

AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale (2012-present)

Best Lawyers in Commercial Litigation (2017-2023) 

Super Lawyer Peer Review Rating (2021-present)  (Selected as a Super Lawyers "Rising Star" 2010 - 2020)

Utah Legal Elite in Civil Litigation Defense, Utah Business Magazine (2017-2022)

Utah's "Forty under 40”, Utah Business Magazine (2017)

Utah's "Up and Coming" Young Lawyers, Utah Legal Elite, Utah Business Magazine (2010-2016)

Education

University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Juris Doctor (2004), graduated at age 21

Staff editor, University of Denver International Law Journal 

Member, ABA traveling trial team 

American Jurisprudence Award, Advanced Civil Procedure 

First place finalist, Barrister’s Cup Appellate Advocacy Competition 

Metropolitan State University of Denver – Bachelor of Arts (Psychology, 1999), graduated at age 16 (youngest B.A. graduate of record as of 1999) 

Honors: Psi Chi, Psychology National Honor Society

Professional Associations

DRI: Lawyers Representing Business 

Appellate Advocacy Committee (2008-present)

Committee Chair (2021-present)

Center for Law & Public Policy

Amicus committee (2021-present)

State Legislation and Rules Task Force (2023-present)

Young Lawyers Committee (2008-2015)

Utah State Bar 

Appellate Practice Section (2006-present) 

Section Chair (2017-2018) 

Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee (2010-2015) 

Committee Co-Chair (2012-2015) 

Young Lawyers Division (2006-2013) 

Co-Chair, Utah Bar Summer Convention (Sun Valley, Idaho) (2009) 

Personal Background

Sarah is a Colorado native. She moved to Utah in 2005. At that time, she had completed a one-year judicial clerkship and worked for a year at a mid-size firm in Denver, Colorado. She lives north of Salt Lake City with her husband and 3 children. Sarah enjoys skiing Utah's one-of-a-kind champagne powder, staying abreast of current events, wind tunnel flying (indoor skydiving),  skydiving, and cooking.

Sarah@SpencerWillsonPLLC.com

801-346-8086 direct

801-503-8125 cell

Licensed in Utah and Colorado