Some people spend their careers building resumes. Sarah Stofko has spent hers building relationships.
For the past 35 years, Sarah has worked as a paralegal, guiding clients through some of the most difficult moments of their lives with compassion, patience, and an unwavering commitment to helping them find their way forward. Since joining SWMW Law in September 2021 as a litigation paralegal in the firm’s Pittsburgh office, she’s continued doing what she loves most: getting to know people.
“Every case starts with paperwork, but it quickly becomes something much more personal,” Sarah said. “By the time we’re finished talking, I know about the people they love, the jobs they were proud of, and the life they built before asbestos changed everything. That’s the part of this job I’ll never take for granted.”
As the litigation paralegal for the firm’s Pennsylvania cases, Sarah also carries a case load in Missouri and Illinois and works closely with the St. Louis teams. She oversees client files, prepares interrogatory responses before depositions, answers client questions, and helps ensure each case keeps moving forward, even as requirements vary from one jurisdiction to another.
It’s detailed work, but for Sarah, it’s always been about the people behind the paperwork.
“Our clients trust us with the hardest chapter of their lives,” she said. “They deserve to feel heard, respected, and cared for every step of the way. If I can make even one difficult day a little easier for them, then I’ve done something worthwhile.”
That philosophy is one of the reasons she followed Partner Holly L. Deihl more than a decade ago when Holly left another Pittsburgh asbestos firm to start a new chapter.
“Holly told me, ‘I’m going to partner with my buddies in St. Louis. Do you want to come with me?’ I trusted her completely,” Sarah recalled. “She said they were good people, and she was right.”
The two have now worked side by side for 11 years.
“We made a deal years ago that she can’t get rid of me and I can’t leave her,” Sarah laughed. “When I first joined the Pittsburgh office, it was just Holly and me. Since then, we’ve grown to include two associate attorneys, another on the way, and a paralegal. Watching our team expand has been incredibly rewarding because it reflects the trust we’ve earned and the reputation SWMW Law has built. I’m proud to be part of that journey.”
Sarah doesn’t hesitate when asked what makes SWMW Law different.
“Our tagline really is the truth,” she said. “I’ve worked at a lot of firms over the years, and I can honestly say this one lives its mission every single day. ‘Because People Matter’ isn’t marketing – it’s how people answer the phone, how attorneys return calls, how teammates help each other, and how every client is treated. That’s rare, and it’s something I’m incredibly proud to be part of.”
She says Holly embodies that same philosophy every day.
“She’s a unicorn,” Sarah said. “The legal profession can be incredibly competitive, but Holly has never believed success comes from keeping knowledge to yourself. She lifts people up. Whether it’s a client, a coworker, or someone from another firm asking for guidance, she always makes time to help. Leaders like that don’t come around very often, but we were fortunate to find more unicorns at SWMW Law.”
That desire to help others has been a constant throughout Sarah’s own career. Before focusing exclusively on asbestos litigation, she also handled family law and estate work. One of the most meaningful parts of that role was helping families navigate probate after losing a loved one.
“No family is ever prepared for that phone call or the paperwork that follows losing someone they love,” Sarah said. “You can’t take away their grief, but you can help carry some of the weight. I’ve always believed that’s one of the most important things we can do.”
Her empathy isn’t something she learned in a classroom.
Sarah lost her father suddenly when she was just 22-years-old. She watched her mother struggle to navigate finances and life on her own while raising a family.
“Losing my dad at such a young age changed the way I see our clients forever,” she said. “I watched my mom suddenly have to figure out life on her own, and I never forgot how difficult that was. Every time I speak with a widow or a family that’s lost someone to mesothelioma, I remember that feeling. It reminds me why this work matters so much. Families who’ve spent a lifetime working hard deserve security, dignity, and someone willing to fight for them.”
That perspective has shaped not only her career but her life.
Ask Sarah what she’s most proud of, and her answer has nothing to do with legal victories or decades of experience.
“My biggest accomplishment is my family,” she said. “My husband and I built our life together. We didn’t come from families with a lot of money. We figured things out ourselves and I’m proud of what we’ve built.”
She and her husband have been married for nearly 29 years, though they’ve known each other for 43. Together they’ve raised a daughter, who is now 28, and a 16-year-old son. She also considers caring for her mother until her passing at age 91 one of the greatest privileges of her life.
“She was there when I took my first breath and I was there when she took her last,” Sarah said. “It was an honor.”
Outside the office, Sarah finds peace wherever there’s water.
A self-described thalassophile—someone deeply drawn to the ocean—she has vacationed in North Carolina’s Outer Banks for decades, a tradition that began with family trips organized by her mother and continues today with lifelong friends.
“I already have next year’s trip booked,” she said with a smile.
She loves gardening, spending time in nature, entertaining friends and even taking spontaneous weekend trips to Lake Erie just to sit by the water.
Ironically, despite her love of the ocean, Sarah admits she has one major fear.
“I absolutely love swimming in the ocean,” she laughed. “But my greatest fear is drowning.”
She especially tries not to think about the underwater tunnel she drives through every year on the way to the Outer Banks.
Sarah also treasures another lifelong tradition: friendship.
She’s remained close with the same core group of friends for more than four decades. When one of them was diagnosed with breast cancer, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation.
“I sent one text message, and everyone showed up,” Sarah said. “That’s what we’ve always done for each other.”
Today, she’s grateful to say their friend is cancer-free.
Through every chapter of life, Sarah has carried the optimism her parents taught her.
“I’m a pretty optimistic person,” she said. “I try to laugh my way through life.”
She often thinks about a piece of advice she heard years ago that has become something of a personal philosophy.
“Years ago, someone compared life to a hand of poker, and it’s stayed with me ever since,” Sarah said. “None of us get to choose the cards we’re dealt. What defines us is what we do with them. We only get one life, and I’d rather spend mine appreciating the little things, showing up for the people I love, and making the most of every hand I’m given.”
It’s a perspective that explains a lot about Sarah Stofko.
Whether she’s comforting a grieving family, helping a client prepare for a deposition, cheering on lifelong friends, or watching the waves roll onto the shores of the Outer Banks, she approaches life with compassion, resilience, and gratitude.
And for the clients she serves every day, that makes all the difference.