Sara F Cates

Sara Cates is an Assistant Professor of Legal Skills. She teaches courses focusing on legal writing, research, and analysis.

Before joining the law school faculty, Sara held two Career Law Clerk positions at the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. She spent five years clerking for the Honorable William I. Garfinkel, United States Magistrate Judge, and two years clerking for the Honorable Julie A. Manning, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge. Sara also has significant experience as a practicing lawyer. She was a Staff Attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance Association, where she represented domestic violence victims in family law matters including divorce, custody, and restraining order cases. She began her legal career at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, where she represented clients in corporate and financial litigation cases and advised clients on education law issues. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Sara taught high school English in Connecticut for seven years and was a consultant with the Connecticut Writing Project.

Sara holds a Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a Master of Arts degree in the Teaching of English from Columbia University.