SARAH SOUCIE EYBERG is a 2011 graduate of William Mitchell College of Law. The winner of the MSBA New Lawyers Section 2018-19 Outstanding New Lawyer of the Year Award, Sarah practices Social Security disability law as a solo practitioner. As a member of the MSBA since she was a law student, Sarah has held leadership roles in numerous sections, including New Lawyers, Practice Management and Marketing, and Social Security Disability Law. She served as chair of the New Lawyers Early Bar Exam Committee, and saw that special project through approval by the NLS Council and the MSBA Assembly and a petition to the Minnesota Supreme Court. She now serves on the Board of Law Examiners Early Bar Exam Committee, representing the MSBA. Sarah is also the chair of the MSBA Assembly General Policy Committee and was recently re-elected to another term on the MSBA Council. She lives in Coon Rapids with her husband and four wonderful children.
Why did you go to law school?
When I was growing up, I had the great fortune to watch my father practice law. And from a very young age I wanted to be a lawyer. I also wanted to be a rock star and a ballerina and a cowgirl. But I stuck with being a lawyer. Definitely not because I wasn’t extremely talented in all those other areas.
How did you come to focus your practice on Social Security disability work?
I came up on Social Security disability work because that was the type of law practiced in the first law firm that hired me. I had no prior experience in Social Security disability, nor did I ever take any administrative law classes in law school. When I was in law school I thought I might be a legal aid attorney and help people with their family law issues. After doing some work like that, I realized quickly that was not the place for me.
What I like about Social Security disability is that I am helping people with really serious physical or mental health problems navigate a complex system. My clients are often unsophisticated, or otherwise vulnerable, most often because of the impact of their health conditions on their functioning.
You’ve done an extraordinary amount of volunteer work for the bar, including service as chair of the MSBA General Policy Committee and as a member of the MSBA Assembly and MSBA Council. What led you to get so involved?
I have been an MSBA member since law school. To me, it is a no-brainer. There is incredible value in membership. I care passionately about the organization and its mission, and I have a hard time not volunteering when there is work to be done.
What have you gained professionally from your bar volunteer service?
I think the number one value that I get from bar volunteer service is the sense of giving back to the greater good, or having an impact on the legal profession greater than the service I can provide to my clients. A lot of the work we do at the bar has a direct impact on practitioners’ practices, well-being, and success. I love being a part of that.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When I am not working, I am likely shuffling between MSBA meetings, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and wrestling/gymnastics/softball practices. We also love spending time at the cabin as a family. I like to run, and knit, though usually not at the same time. And occasionally I get to spend time with my handsome (and equally busy) husband.