Sarah Love joined law firm Bays Lung Rose & Holma straight out of law school in 2006. In addition to overseeing her own case load and adding partner to her repertoire four years ago, Love’s management responsibilities include serving on the firm’s hiring and business development committees and helping to bring in new associates, secretaries, paralegals and other hires to support the team. Love also sits on the board for the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the Hawai‘i affiliate of the breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen.
Favorite part of the job?
I was a teacher before I went to law school, so I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of the job where I get to educate my clients about what their rights are, what their options are and working with them to create strategies to accomplish their goals. Not every client’s goal is the same, so that’s always really exciting and interesting.
I also really enjoy working with the younger attorneys in the firm, teaching them how to be a good attorney and a good advocate for their clients. As a young attorney, I got a lot of guidance and support, so it’s my turn now to pay it forward.
On her work in the community:
Being a lawyer, I’m at my desk every day. Getting out into the community through BIA-Hawaii and seeing what clients are facing on a day-to-day basis has been a lot of fun. And sitting on the board for Susan G. Komen has been really personally fulfilling for me.
Most valuable lesson she’s learned:
Learn from those around you. It’s really hard to reinvent the wheel, so the more you can work with mentors and other people around you to help guide and build your career, the better. I’ve been very fortunate to have had lots of mentors in the firm. Seeing how all of them do their jobs can help shape who you want to be, how you want your career to go and how you want others to view you and the value that you provide. You can’t do it all yourself—you really have to rely on the people around you to help you build your career.
Do women operate differently than men in a professional context?
Yes and no. I think women don’t always take advantage of the same opportunities that men do, but once they’re in a leadership position, they are just as effective as men. Beyond that, it’s really a personality thing.
I think it comes down to confidence. Being confident enough to take advantage of opportunities when they come your way—to step up and say, hey, I can do this job, instead of being hesitant about whether or not to take on that role.
On the role of gender in the workplace:
The legal profession is pretty well mixed in terms of gender, so there aren’t as many barriers as there may have been decades ago. You’re judged based on what you do and what you can accomplish. I’m very fortunate in that respect.
