Sarah Novak Nesbitt: Advocating for Families with Ingenuity
and Compassion
As the Managing Attorney of the Family Law Division at
Family Legal Advocacy Group (FLAG), Sarah Novak Nesbitt has dedicated her
professional life to working with children and families. Sarah understands the
complexities of custody disputes, divorce, and child support issues, and she is
deeply passionate about helping families navigate these challenges in a
child-focused manner. Her commitment lies in preserving family relationships
while ensuring that clients comprehend their rights and legal options. Sarah
actively encourages clients to seek resolution through alternative dispute
resolution, demonstrating her zealous advocacy in these processes and
litigation when necessary.
Growing up in Montgomery County, Sarah pursued her education
at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Graduating magna cum laude with
dual degrees in psychology and sociology, she focused her coursework and
research on infant and child development and family dynamics. During her time
at Notre Dame, Sarah volunteered with a mentoring and tutoring program for
South Bend youth. Post-college, she returned to Maryland and worked as a
full-time volunteer teacher at a scholarship school for low-income middle
school boys in Baltimore City. Inspired by her volunteer experiences, Sarah
decided to become a lawyer to assist children and families in navigating the
legal system.
Sarah graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland
School of Law, where she was a Leadership Scholar. Her legal journey included a
summer internship with Project HEAL, a joint program from the Maryland
Volunteer Lawyers Service and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, focusing on
family law and special education cases. She received the Maryland Public
Interest Law Project Pro Bono Student of the Year award for initiating a
program for law students to volunteer with Project HEAL. Throughout law school,
Sarah volunteered with the House of Ruth, providing services to victims of
domestic violence. Her coursework encompassed various family law-related topics,
and she focused on alternative dispute resolution options for families.
Upon graduation, Sarah became an associate with Weinberg
& Schwartz, L.L.C., a firm exclusively practicing family law in Columbia,
Maryland. Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in family law for three
consecutive years (2011, 2012, 2013), Sarah was also admitted to the United
States Supreme Court in 2012. She frequently volunteers in the Family Law
Assistance Program in the Circuit Court for Howard County and has appeared in
multiple Circuit Courts across Maryland.
Currently residing in Montgomery County with her husband,
three young children, and energetic Labrador, Sarah enjoys spending time at the
beach, cheering for the Fighting Irish football team, and cooking. She actively
serves on the Board of the Collaborative Project of Maryland, a non-profit
organization providing low-cost Collaborative Divorce services to families in
Maryland.