Sarah LeClair joined NCVLI’s legal team in January of 2009. Click here to read Sarah’s bio or read on to learn more about Sarah in her own words.

As an organization what is NCVLI’s greatest strength?
The staff.  My co-workers are all—without exception—hard-working, bright, compassionate, and fun people.  It is one of the highlights of my professional life to work alongside them.

Who or what inspires you?
The courage of so many crime victims who survive, persist, and fight for their own rights as well as the rights of other victims.

If you could change one thing about the current victims’ rights environment, be it legal, political, public recognition, victim social/psychological services, etc., what would it be?
I cannot choose just one thing.  The two things I would most want to change are:  (1) The perception that some people have that legal rights are a zero-sum game, and that recognizing and affording victims their rights in some way undermines the rights and responsibilities of others.  This simply isn’t the case.  Courts can and do robustly enforce both the rights of victims and defendants.  Further, vigorous enforcement of victims’ rights in no way undermines the exercise of prosecutorial discretion; it simply affords victims the right to information and to a voice in the process; and (2) Create publicly funded legal representation for victims who cannot afford to hire their own attorneys to enforce their rights.

Why should someone else get involved with NCVLI and victims’ rights?
Because the strengthening, recognition, and enforcement of victims’ rights is one of the necessary steps in improving a seriously flawed criminal justice system.

What are your hobbies?
Anything creative, but mostly clothing design and sewing; yoga; reading; trying to keep up with my two wonderful and energetic young children.