SARAH M. CROSS

EDUCATION:

University of Notre Dame Law School

J.D. Recipient, May 2003

                                  GPA:                          3.22/4.0

                                  Honors:                       Dean’s Award – Constitutional Law

                                                                    Fellowship Recipient

Activities:           Poverty Law Program Participant, Volunteer at Northern Indiana Legal Services

University of Michigan

B.A., Cum Laude, French, May 2000

                                  GPA:                          3.5/4.0

                                  Honors:                       Attended Institute D’Etudes Politiques

                                  Activities:                   Project Community Coordinator

LEGAL WORK:

The Law Office of Sarah M. Cross                                                      Brighton, MI

Solo Practitioner                                                                 December 2003-Present

·        Provide legal services related to immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions, tourist visas, work visas, legal permanent residence, VAWA applications, and naturalization. 

·        Manage www.lovevisas.com website. 

The Red Room Boutique                                                                        Brighton, MI

Owner                                                                                     August 2004-April 2007

·        Recruit new artists, market the artwork of over 100 artists, and supervise artists in the development of new products and classes.

·        Drafting and negotiate contracts and leases.

·        Supervise all financial aspects of business including short and long-term budgeting, advertising, payables/receivables, monthly and year end reports, cost management.

Office of the Cass County Prosecuting Attorney                                      Cassopolis, MI

Intern                                                                                         May 2002 – May 2003

·         Researched and wrote over 150 briefs and motions for the Circuit, Family, and District Courts, the Michigan Court of Appeal, and the Michigan Supreme Court.

·         Conducted all aspects of the office’s discovery process. 

·        Participated in plea negotiations, witness preparation, case organization, warrant authorization, and pre-trial conferences.

Volunteer Work:

Legal Aid of Northern Indiana                                                            South Bend, IN

Volunteer                                                                                                           2001

·        Researched and wrote memos for Legal Aid of Northern Indiana on subjects from tenants’ rights, elder law, and employment law, including a three month research project on criminal activity and Section 8 housing evictions. 

Project Community Volunteer Work                                                  University of Michigan

Project Coordinator/Student Volunteer                                                                             1996-2000

·        Supervised the volunteer work of 10-20 students each year at several volunteer sites in Michigan.

·        Taught Sociology 398 student seminar, assigned and evaluated students work and group presentations, and conducted student discussions.

·        Jointly conducted mentoring and literacy tutoring programs serving groups of 10-50 elementary aged students with social workers.

·        Taught creative writing to inmates of both the Adrian Temporary Correctional Facility and the Washtenaw County Jail including organizing and editing three

literary compilations. 

Exchange de Culture                                                                            Aix-en-Provence

Co-Creator                                                                                       1998-1999

·        Co-organized a cultural exchange group between French and American university students in Aix-en-Provence, France     

LANGUAGES:

Fluent in French