PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_JulAug 2019 | Page 13

JUDICIAL PROFILE CORNER
Judicial Profile: The Honorable Sarah Willis
WILLIAM LEWIS
The youngest child of a dentist and a
doctor, Judge Willis has wanted to be a
lawyer for as long as she can remember.
After graduating from high school in
Gainesville, Judge Willis attended Florida
Atlantic University on a full scholarship.
Upon graduating from FAU with a major
in Fine Arts, Judge Willis enrolled at the
Florida State University College of Law.
In her initial semester of law school, Judge
Willis was first exposed to the realities of
domestic violence through her criminal
law course. Then, after her 2L year,
Judge Willis worked as a Certified Legal
Intern in the Palm Beach County State
Attorney’s Office. During her internship,
she had the opportunity to try 10 cases –
an experience that further cemented her
interest in public service.
Upon completing her internship, Judge
Willis accepted a full time position as an
Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach
County and graduated law school in just
two and a half years. Judge Willis quickly
moved up the ranks in the office, tried
dozens of cases, and was promoted to the
SVU. It was here, helping victims of sexual
assault and abuse, that Judge Willis found
her true passion.
As she reflects on her time at the State
Attorney’s Office, Judge Willis mentions
a teddy bear that sits on a shelf in her
chambers. The toy was a gift from the
victims of a case involving the sexual
abuse of four siblings, the youngest of
whom was only five years old, by their
uncle.
Judge Willis recalls how the
victims struggled to understand the
judicial process and the heartbreaking
conversations she had when the victims
questioned whether they had done
something wrong. Ultimately, after much
hard work, Judge Willis secured guilty
verdicts and a life sentence against the
perpetrator. It takes a special kind of
person to have the compassion to connect
with the victims of such horrific crimes,
yet also the strength and skill to prosecute
the abuser.
Due to her success in the SVU, Judge
Willis received the opportunity to join
the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office of
the Attorney General. As a Statewide
Prosecutor, Judge Willis continued her
efforts to protect the vulnerable in our
society through the office’s initiative to
combat human trafficking. While she
thoroughly enjoyed this meaningful work,
by this point in her career, Judge Willis
knew that she eventually wanted to join
the judiciary.
In 2014, Judge Willis took a step towards
her goal when a magistrate position
opened up in Palm Beach County. Judge
Willis applied and was selected for the
role by the Chief Judge of the Circuit. As
a magistrate, Judge Willis worked mainly
on family cases, an experience that
she believes has been invaluable in her
transition to the Circuit Court bench.
Judge Wills served as a magistrate from
2014 until 2018, but she continued to
aspire to become a judge. So when a
Circuit Court seat opened up in 2018, she
knew she had to pursue the opportunity.
After discussing the details with her
family, Judge Willis made the decision to
run for the open position, which required
her to resign from the magistrate role that
she loved.
As she looks back now on the contested
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judicial race, Judge Willis credits her
husband, Albert, and her parents, for
believing in her and dedicating much of
their time to helping the campaign. And
with two young children at home – seven-
year-old Gabrielle and two-year-old Aedan
– it was clearly a tall task for Judge Willis
and her husband to balance the campaign
with their other responsibilities. But
all of their hard work paid off, and on
January 8, 2019, Judge Willis received her
commission as a Circuit Court Judge.
Judge Willis is currently assigned to the
Family and Probate division. It is clear
from speaking with Judge Willis that she
truly enjoys her new role. But as much as
she appreciates being a judge, the citizens
and members of the bar in Palm Beach
County should be just as appreciative to
have Judge Willis on the bench. They
elected a judge who cares about people,
loves being in the courtroom, and wants
to make a positive difference in her
community.
As she looks forward to serving the
community, Judge Willis hopes to apply
her considerable experience as a trial
lawyer and magistrate to ensure that all
litigants are treated fairly and respectfully.
We congratulate Judge Willis on her
election and welcome her to the Fifteenth
Judicial Circuit bench.
William B. Lewis is the Managing Partner
of the West Palm Beach office of the
Morgan & Morgan Business Trial Group,
where he practices commerical and
securities litigation.