Sarah M. Buel (born 1953) is an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and anti-

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

. In 1994 she was designated a

Women's History Month Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with ...

Honoree by the

National Women's History Project The National Women's History Alliance (NWHA) is an American non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and preserving women's history. The NWHA was formerly known as the National Women's History Project. Based out of Santa Rosa, California sinc ...

Early life and education

She earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1987 from

Harvard Extension School Harvard Extension School (HES) is the extension school of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school is one among 12 schools that grant degrees and falls under the Division of Continuing Education in the Harvard Faculty of Arts ...

. She graduated cum laude from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1990, where she founded the Harvard Battered Women's Advocacy Project, the Harvard Women in Prison Project, and the Harvard Children and Family Rights Project.

Career

Buel directs the Diane Halle Center for Family Justice at the

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (ASU Law) is one of the professional graduate schools at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is located in the Beus Center for Law and Society on ASU's downtown Phoenix campus. The law ...

Tempe, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Vale of Tempe , image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg , imagesize = 260px , image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...

. She is co-founder of the University of Texas Voices Against Violence program to provide services for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. She also co-founded the interdisciplinary University of Texas Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She is the faculty supervisor for the Survivor Support Network (SSN) and the student group, Society Encouraging Excellence Through Diversity (SEED). Buel formerly served as special counsel for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. She was a prosecutor for six years, most of that time in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

. Earlier, Buel served as a victim advocate, state policy coordinator and as a paralegal. She is the author of more than 30 articles and the recipient of numerous awards. She narrated the 1992 Academy Award-winning documentary "

Defending Our Lives ''Defending Our Lives'' is a 1993 American short documentary film directed by Margaret Lazarus, Stacey Kabat and Renner Wunderlich. It won an Oscar at the 66th Academy Awards in 1994 for Documentary Short Subject. See also * Domestic Violen ...

". In 1996, NBC called her one of the five most inspiring women in America.

Personal life

She has one son, Jacey.

Notes

1953 births Living people Anti-domestic violence activists Harvard Extension School alumni 20th-century American women lawyers Harvard Law School alumni 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American lawyers {{humanrights-stub