Being able to fight for the underdog is the most meaningful part of Sarah René Sticklen-McDonnell’s job as a lawyer. “I get to know my clients and their stories very well,” she says. “I take great pride in my responsibility to be their voice during such a tough time in their lives.”
At Sticklen & Sticklen, the entire team works to help when you need it most and to alleviate any financial burden that occurs with an accident. Since 1997, they have worked exclusively with accident victims, becoming one of the preeminent car accident, workers’ compensation and personal injury law firms in Missouri.
After working during and after law school for law firms in Chicago, Columbia and Miami, Sticklen-McDonnell realized she only wanted to handle injury claims, “just like my dad has always done,” she says. “He has always loved his job and his clients.”
Early in her career, Sticklen-McDonnell says her father advised her to not be afraid to stand her ground and fight for her clients. “It can be intimidating as a young woman in a male-dominated field, but being given the freedom to be assertive and to stand up for what I believe is right has allowed me to grow as both an attorney and a person,” she says.
But the most important thing to remember is to simply be yourself, she says, because there is no “one-size-fits all” approach to being a woman. “Nor is there an exact mold you need to fit to be a female attorney,” Sticklen-McDonnell says. Instead, just focus on being there for clients when they need it most.
While being a woman in the legal field can come with challenges, it also brings rewards. Sticklen-McDonnell says being a part of “Women to Watch” is a dream come true. “I am honored to be featured with a group of women in my community who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they know will make our community, and our world, a better place,” she says.
Sticklen-McDonnell wants other aspiring women to know that there is nothing holding them back. “Being a ‘Woman to Watch’ means not just having a seat at the table in a male-dominated field, but having a voice at the table,” she says.
Being that voice allows Sticklen-McDonnell to help lend a hand and guide others through what could otherwise be a scary and life-altering time. “If I, with my license to practice law, don’t stand up for someone who is being taken advantage of, then who will?”
