Written by: JESSICA PALMA
Sara Yousuf, J.D. ‘05, has been an unstoppable force in her pursuit of truth-finding, community engagement, and meaningful advocacy towards social justice. As a child to two psychiatrists who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan, Yousuf’s stellar drive and devotion to building strong communities come as no surprise.
After graduating from Detroit Country Day School in 1998, her goal of becoming a journalist led her to the University of Miami for dual degrees in journalism and English. During her studies, Yousuf interned at several nonprofit organizations, including Infact (now Corporate Accountability International) — experiences that drove her to commit to a career in law.
“While interning at Infact, I observed the inspiring staff attorneys bring about meaningful change by filing lawsuits,” she said. “I came to believe that I could do the most good with a larger [litigation] toolkit.”
Law School Years: Inspiration Turned into Action
At Miami Law, Yousuf successfully expanded her “toolkit” by putting knowledge into action. While enrolled in her business associations class, it took Yousuf only a few weeks after learning about articles of incorporation for her to go out and file her own. “I cofounded Sweat Records, Miami’s first and finest independent record store. It is still in business over 16 years later, and it remains one of my proudest achievements,” said Yousuf.
Additionally, her thirteen-year career as an assistant public defender began when her criminal law professor, Donna Coker, assigned her class to visit the criminal courthouse. Yousuf remembers observing the public defenders deftly pursuing legal arguments, in whatever time they could — despite the judge spending “as little as 20 seconds on a case” as he zipped through the calendar.
“That day, I also remember seeing a very young man surrender to eight years in prison for an alleged drug sale while his entire family held each other and cried from the gallery. Immediately after that visit, I applied to intern at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office,” she adds.
While at Miami Law, in addition to serving as an intern with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, Yousuf also worked at Legal Services of Greater Miami and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
Career Defender Takes on Public Policy
“After spending thirteen years as an assistant public defender, I joined The Justice Collaborative,” said Yousuf. “I worked on developing policies for elected district attorneys that increase public safety while also reducing incarceration.”
The Justice Collaborative, a non-profit dedicated “to end dehumanization and extreme vulnerability and build in their place a society with dignity and freedom for [all],” supplies “deep legal, policy, communications, and networking support to visionary leaders and organizations” seeking to reduce incarceration across America safely. Yousuf began her work in the media wing of The Justice Collaborative as the managing editor for The Appeal, where she produces its daily live-streaming show, “The Briefing.”
As of June, Yousuf began working at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office as deputy director of communications. “My work involves developing and disseminating public-facing communications including press releases, public service announcements, and social media to inform the public about our work to bring about long-term public safety.” She also “rapidly respond[s] to media inquiries, which can involve pulling and summarizing data, providing case-specific information, and explaining and providing context for our policy decisions.”
Words of Advice
Yousuf sincerely believes that the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office is the finest in the nation. “While there, I found the most incredible mentors imaginable, tried 70 felony cases to verdict, and woke up to meaningful work every day,” she said. “I am endlessly grateful to that office for providing me with the experience, skills, and perspective that I will take with me wherever I go.”
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