Sarah M. Burnick

Sarah Burnick is an associate in the Charlotte office of Hall Booth Smith, where she focuses her practice on general liability, government affairs, and governmental liability. She brings more than seven years of litigation and leadership experience from her service as an Assistant District Attorney in the Alamance County District Attorney’s Office.

During her time as a prosecutor, Sarah handled hundreds of matters through every phase of litigation, including discovery, motion practice, negotiations, and trial. She held multiple key leadership roles, serving as the Supervisor of District Court, Internship Program Supervisor, the primary felony drug prosecutor, and the primary felony animal cruelty prosecutor. In these capacities, she managed complex caseloads, oversaw courtroom operations, and developed case strategies that consistently produced favorable outcomes.

Sarah worked closely with law enforcement agencies, providing legal guidance on investigations, policy development, charging decisions, and search warrants. She frequently conducted and participated in specialized trainings and supported officers throughout the investigative process. Her extensive courtroom and advisory experience inform her transition into private practice, where she now applies her prosecutorial background to defending governmental entities and managing government liability matters.

Before joining HBS, Sarah also engaged in high-level federal practice through internships with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, where she assisted with motion practice, regulatory analysis, federal hearings under the 3L Practice Rule, and litigation strategy.

Sarah earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was active in the Holderness Moot Court, served as notes editor for the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology, and received multiple academic and advocacy honors. She received her Bachelor of Science from Guilford College, graduating with distinction in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology.

Publications

•The Importance of The Design Patent to Modern Day Technology: The Supreme Court’s Decision to Narrow The Damages Clause in Samsung v. Apple
Reg18 N.C.J.L. & Tech. 283 (2018). North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/ncjolt/vol18/iss5/9

In the Press

HBS Charlotte Office Expands with Addition of Two New Associates

February 9, 2026

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is pleased to announce Sara Brakmann and Sarah Burnick have joined the firm’s Charlotte office as new associates.