About

About Sarah Gad

Sarah Gad is a Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney based in Minneapolis, MN. and the founding attorney of the Gad & Gad Law Offices LLP. From its launch, the firm has been committed to serving its clients, not as case numbers or files, but as humans. Sarah and her Immigration Attorney partner, Susanne Gad, are relentless, stopping at nothing to defend and vindicate the rights of their clients. Their tireless work and ability to develop comprehensive strategies to protect client rights fiercely has earned Sarah Gad a “Top Ten Under 40” Defense Attorney ranking by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys.

A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Gad’s path to becoming a Criminal Attorney has taken her from overcoming the depths of an addiction to medically prescribed opioids to becoming an advocate for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and access to treatment for incarcerated individuals and other underserved communities. This incredible journey began as Sarah was recovering from a devastating car accident that resulted in several broken bones.

Like so many other Americans, she became addicted to the prescribed pain medications and eventually lost sight of her plans to enter medical school. Her unfortunate descent resulted in multiple felony charges and incarceration. Denied addiction treatment while in jail, the attorney who successfully litigated her case against Cook County inspired her to consider becoming a trial lawyer.

Instead of being defined by addiction and a prison sentence, Gad is now battling for her clients as a robust advocate for justice and demanding fair and equal legal processes from her award-winning criminal defense and immigration law practice.

Education and Early Career

Sarah Gad began her studies at the University of Minnesota. She completed her Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in microbiology and chemistry, a traditional study path for future medical students. She was on track to a promising medical career, maintaining a 3.94/4.0 GPA, until her life took a dramatic turn after a car accident in 2012 and her subsequent imprisonment for drug-related felony offenses. While serving time, Sarah’s case caught the attention of an attorney known for helping wrongfully convicted prisoners obtain justice. 

Sarah’s case was successfully litigated in her favor, and the attorney who offered her a lifeline to freedom convinced Gad to use her formal education in science and biology to take on a full-time role as Director of Forensics within the Law Offices of Kathleen T. Zellner & Associates. She was responsible for developing and overseeing all scientific testing for the firm’s post-conviction cases. 

Gad was called upon to provide scientific contributions in the disposition of several high-profile cases. These pivotal experiences convinced Sarah to attend the University of Chicago Law School, where she used her settlement proceeds to earn her Jurist Doctorate. She also joined the ACLU Chicago Law Chapter and became an outspoken Board Member for the Criminal Law Society and the Defenders, a student-led advocacy group. In 2019, Gad received the University of Chicago’s Humanitarian Award.

Criminal Defense Attorney

While attending the University of Chicago Law School, Gad worked as a Law Clerk for the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic, which provides free legal representation to poor children and young adults charged with delinquency and crime. She was tasked with developing effective pre-trial and post-trial strategies and drafting motions, briefs, and memoranda for federal, state, and appellate courts. This experience was instrumental in solidifying her chosen area of legal practice when she launched the Gad & Gad Law Offices in 2022.

Since being sworn into the Minnesota Bar in 2023, Sarah Gad has launched her law firm specializing in criminal defense and civil rights. Her unconventional viewpoint, blending life experiences, scientific analytical skills, and a pressing pre-trial defense, has led to the dismissal or diversion of most of her cases before trial. In the summer of 2023, Gad won her first murder case in Hennepin County, earning industry-wide recognition for her tireless efforts on behalf of her client.

Gad has been the legal advocate for several high-profile cases involving underserved community members. She represented several University of Minnesota students who were arrested for criminally trespassing on campus while protesting in support of Palestine. Each year since becoming a licensed attorney in Minnesota, Sarah has been recognized by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys as a Top Ten Under 40 Defense Lawyer.

Community Advocate for Justice

Sarah Gad is most proud of the work she does advocating for better drug addiction treatment for those incarcerated around the country. Her own experience of detoxing behind bars, without any medical help, was not only physically dangerous but also a tortuous emotional experience. She began in 2018, advocating to raise awareness of the documented dangers of forced abstinence placed upon inmates with opioid addiction. She started the organization Addicted 2 Action (A2A) to push public sentiment and government legislation that would provide for medication-assisted treatment.

This one-woman initiative has grown to include five professional women with medical, rehabilitation, psychology, and law backgrounds. The group has leveraged critical partnerships with prominent criminal justice organizations, including the Women’s Justice Institute and the Chicago Urban League, to promote a larger agenda of decarceration and harm reduction in women. Her goal is to make medically assisted treatment available to opioid addicts in correctional facilities and elsewhere. 

Gad continues to work tirelessly, doing everything she can to help save people from the disease of addiction and prevent them from feeling the desperation and hopelessness she experienced. Her prodigious work ethic in the criminal justice system and her community advocacy exemplify the change one person committed to defending the rights of the accused and the underrepresented can make.