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In Part Two of LawTalk, Ropes & Gray partner Sarah Walters goes beyond case law and textbooks to explain what law school doesn’t teach you — how to use judgment, advise real clients, and grow through mentorship in what she calls an “apprenticeship” profession. She also shares honest advice for students: choose schools where you’ll thrive, stay open to unexpected opportunities, work hard, and follow what you actually love, not just a fancy name on the door.
LawTalk: Sarah Walters of Ropes & Gray — Part II
Note: Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
Series: LawTalk
Host: Jerry Li ’26
Guest: Sarah Walters, Partner at Ropes & Gray; former federal prosecutor
Episode Highlights
What Law School Doesn’t Teach
In law school you learn how to think and write like a lawyer — how to research, analyze cases, and take apart arguments. What you don’t really learn is judgment. Clients don’t just want theory. They want, “What should I actually do?” Sometimes the answer is, “File the lawsuit and go to trial.” Sometimes it’s, “Tell the regulators what happened and work toward resolution.” And sometimes it’s, “Fix the problem quietly and reduce the risk.” Learning how to make that call for a real client — that’s the part you only get through experience.
Sarah Walters
Law as an Apprenticeship
It’s hard to know how to be a truly good lawyer until you’ve actually been a lawyer. I describe the practice of law as an apprenticeship. I’ve been lucky to have mentors at every stage — private practice, government, back to private practice — people I could go to with almost any question. Those relationships matter. You learn judgment by watching people you trust use theirs.
Sarah Walters
Advice for Future Lawyers
Keep an open mind about your path. Be curious. Do things that make you happy now. A lot of students feel pressure to decide their entire future at 17. Most of the partners I work with had no idea in college that they’d become lawyers. When you’re choosing a college, pick the place where you will thrive and be supported — not just the name on the door. We look for people who succeeded where they were.
Sarah Walters
Most people don’t go straight from college to law school anymore. They work, they travel, they serve, they follow something they care about. Law schools and employers want different perspectives and lived experience. There is no single “right” road.
Sarah Walters
Recognizing Opportunity
You have to notice when an opportunity is walking by. I’m at Ropes & Gray because a friend called and said, “You should think about coming here.” My first answer was no. He called again and said, “No, really — think about it.” That phone call changed my career. Keep an open mind. Don’t automatically say no just because it’s not what you pictured.
Sarah Walters
Law is hard work in every lane — litigation, corporate, prosecution, defense, in-house, outside counsel. You have to be able to lock in, focus, and deliver when it matters. There’s always some luck, but the constant is being able to put your head down and do the work.
Sarah Walters
Final Message to Students
My career has been a winding road, in the best way. If you told me when I was younger that I’d end up a partner at Ropes & Gray in Boston doing government-enforcement work, I wouldn’t even have known what that meant. Keep an open mind. Work hard. But also pay attention to whether you actually love the work.
You’ll only be great at this — and honestly this is true for most things—if you care about it. If you’re not enjoying it, try something else.
Sarah Walters