About Sarah Barkley
Sarah Barkley Raaymakers took an indirect path to law. She studied French and linguistics at the College of William and Mary before earning her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 2009. The study of language shaped the way she observes facts and frames arguments. It also informed her early decisions about where to gain practical courtroom experience.
While still a student, Raaymakers sought placements that exposed her to the daily pressures of contested cases. She interned at the Pinellas County Public Defender’s Office and spent time at the Commonwealth Lawyer’s Office in Charlottesville. Another early assignment placed her at the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg. Those internships gave her front-line experience in case preparation, client interviews and courtroom procedures.
Raaymakers also worked at Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett beginning in 2007. Her roles there included clerk duties and later positions as a lawyer and partner. The work offered steady exposure to courtroom practice and client representation. It also gave her an opportunity to handle a range of matters and to refine courtroom presentation.
After law school she remained connected to Florida’s legal community. She is admitted to practice in Florida and has built a practice grounded in litigation experience. Her education and early public-sector internships inform the way she evaluates evidence and prepares witnesses. She is comfortable in court and spends significant time preparing for trial-level work.
Colleagues describe Raaymakers as pragmatic in the courtroom. She favors clear questions and concise argument. She balances attention to detail with an eye toward strategy. That approach dates back to her student internships and the hands-on responsibilities she assumed at Carlson and later in private practice.
Today she is a principal at the Law Office of Philips & Raaymakers PLLC. The office handles a range of matters that require courtroom experience and client-facing work. Raaymakers continues to draw on her language background and early public defender experience when she evaluates cases, interviews clients and prepares for hearings. She currently practices at the Law Office of Philips & Raaymakers PLLC, where her practice concentrates on criminal defense and trial work.
