About Sarah
Sarah Schmeiser built a basis within the liberal arts before turning to law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Beloit College in 1997, then pursued legal research on the University of Wisconsin Law School, receiving her J.D. in 2004. Those years gave her a mix of academic education and practical coursework that shaped how she approaches evidence and argument.
Her expert credentials include admission to practice in Wisconsin and appearances in federal court. She is licensed to the U.S. District Courts for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin and is authorized to seem before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Those admissions reflect a practice that spans state and federal matters and the complete variety of trial and appellate work.
Schmeiser’s involvement in expert organizations has been outstanding. In 2022 she held the submit of President-Elect of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She additionally serves as Secretary of that company and maintains club in the Dane County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Those roles have covered organizing meetings, contributing to ongoing legal training, and working with peers on problems that have an effect on practice and coverage throughout the state.
Her day-to-day practice is primarily based at Stroud, Willink & Howard. There she handles felony protection matters for a variety of clients, appearing in trial dockets and in federal proceedings when important. Her courtroom work is supplemented by studies and motion practice. She documents and responds to both trial-level motions and appellate briefs when instances move beyond the district courts.
Colleagues describe Schmeiser as methodical and direct in courtroom and in preparation. She is comfortable in hearings that require rapid court responses and in longer stretches of written advocacy. That range—brief, decisive argument in courthouse corridors and prolonged legal writing—marks much of her work.
Outside of casework, Schmeiser has taken on administrative and management duties in the defense bar. Her positions in statewide and nearby associations have kept her engaged with advancements in criminal law, guidelines modifications, and education initiatives for different lawyers. She currently practices criminal defense at Stroud, Willink & Howard, representing clients in both state and federal courts.
