Sierra B. Mitchell
Sierra B. Mitchell concentrates her practice at Meng Law in Prince Frederick in the area of Maryland family law. Ms. Mitchell provides competent, efficient and effective legal advice and representation in divorce, child custody & visitation, child support, adoptions, family law mediation and related areas to individuals and families throughout Southern Maryland in Calvert, St. Mary’s, Charles and Prince George’s counties.
Ms. Mitchell’s passion lies in helping families solve problems. She began her career in the legal field with an emphasis on family law even before entering law school and has developed a wealth of experience in diverse family law matters, including extensive mediation and litigation experience. She also regularly handles Estate or Probate Administration and disputes, as well as Estate Planning including Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives.
Ms. Mitchell understands how to communicate with troubled clients, showing compassion when necessary but remaining honest about expectations. Ms. Mitchell also has training in mediation and believes that clients are better satisfied with the outcome of their case when they provide input toward the resolution. Understanding that not all disputes can be resolved without court intervention, Ms. Mitchell will tirelessly advocate for her clients when their day in court arrives.
Call Sierra Mitchell at Meng Law to retain the compassion, drive and energy of a skilled and knowledgeable family law attorney for your case.
A Circuit Court Judicial Law Clerk
Ms. Mitchell has the invaluable experience of understanding what happens behind the scenes of a courtroom. During a year-long clerkship with the Honorable Julia B. Weatherly, a Circuit Court Judge in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Ms. Mitchell had the opportunity to work day in and day out with the judge, learning the ins and outs of what it takes to be a great litigator and advocate for your client.
Because Judge Weatherly’s daily docket consisted mainly of domestic trials – divorce, alimony, property disputes, custody, child support, visitation, and protective orders – Ms. Mitchell had the opportunity to interact closely with family law on a daily basis. Because there are so many factors and interpersonal dynamics associated with family law, it is important to learn from a judge’s perspective what is important in each case, give reasonable expectations to parties and create solutions that actually work among conflicted families.
Another important component to Ms. Mitchell’s clerkship experience was the knowledge she gained in researching and authoring opinions and orders in a variety of cases ranging anywhere from civil matters with wrongful death suits, contract disputes, real property disputes, slip-and-fall cases, discrimination matters, police use of force cases, guardianship matters, appeals from the District Court and Administrative Agencies, to criminal cases with evidentiary suppression hearings, motions to modify or reconsider a sentence, and complicated post-conviction petitions seeking new trials.
Attorneys with clerkship experience have the benefit and advantage of knowing how to get things accomplished around a courthouse. From problems as large as missing a deadline to problems as small as locating a missing file, law clerks understand the issues that arise during the course of a lawsuit and know how to solve problems.
A Recognized Scholar
Ms. Mitchell has been recognized by The Daily Record for outstanding achievement and public service in 2017 as a Leadership in Law, Generation J.D. award winner and in 2018 as a VIP List Under 40 award winner. Super Lawyer’s Magazine and Baltimore Magazine have named Ms. Mitchell as a Maryland and Washington, D.C. Top Rated Family Law Attorney, Rising Star in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has also received the AVVO Client Choice Award and the MSBA Young Lawyers Section Council Rising Star Award.
Ms. Mitchell graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in May 2012, in the top 7% of her class and earning induction into the Heuisler Honor Society.
Upon completion of her undergraduate degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, Ms. Mitchell was inducted into the nation’s most prestigious honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, a credential she shares with 17 U.S. Presidents and 38 U.S. Supreme Court Justices.
A Local Lawyer with Roots in Southern Maryland
An extreme advantage of hiring a local lawyer is having an advocate who understands the ebb and flow of the community, both professionally and personally. Ms. Mitchell has lived in Calvert County since childhood and is a proud graduate of Calvert High School. Ms. Mitchell understands what matters to the people of Southern Maryland and recognizes these values and common grounds in her practice of law. During law school, Ms. Mitchell had the fortunate opportunity to intern in her hometown for the Honorable Warren J. Krug of the Circuit Court for Calvert County, Maryland. This experience provided Ms. Mitchell with two invaluable opportunities: (1) meeting and developing relationships with the wonderful people who keep the Courthouse running – from judges to clerks, bailiffs, and administrative assistants; and (2) understanding the way a small courthouse operates. While the important laws don’t change throughout Maryland, there are local rules, customs, and court services that are unique to each county, and having a lawyer who understands the local procedure can save essential funds and time in your case.
A Diverse Legal Background Brings Back the Nostalgia of the Family Lawyer
Ms. Mitchell’s diverse legal experiences enable her to address a majority of legal needs without the client having to approach different lawyers for each issue.
Ms. Mitchell has worked in a wide range of legal capacities and practice areas over the past 15 years. From a legal secretary in a general practice in Upper Marlboro to a family paralegal in Bowie and the Land and Development and Legal departments of Chaney Enterprises in Waldorf, she acquired a strong understanding of the law and working in a legal environment even prior to attending law school.
During law school, Ms. Mitchell’s high achievement earned her the chance to intern with the Honorable Wendelin I. Lipp, United States Federal Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Maryland in Greenbelt. This prestigious internship provided Ms. Mitchell with a unique opportunity to learn the basics of bankruptcy litigation from a judge’s perspective. Although Ms. Mitchell does not currently practice in bankruptcy, her experience and knowledge of bankruptcy practice and procedure allow her to better address clients’ needs when they are in the difficult financial times that often come when a family is going through litigation.
After Ms. Mitchell’s second year of law school, she worked as a Summer Associate with the law firm of Eccleston & Wolf, P.C. in Hanover, Maryland, assisting the defense in various high-dollar professional and legal malpractice cases involving anything from a rural property line dispute to an engineering failure on a hundred-million-dollar urban development project.
A Caring Heart Who Fights for Justice
For three semesters during law school, Ms. Mitchell practiced as a Rule 16 Student Attorney with the University of Baltimore School of Law Family Law Clinic where she represented clients free of charge in domestic violence proceedings, divorce proceedings, a contested name change for a child, settlement conferences, child support modification and contempt proceedings.
More than simply representing clients with domestic law issues, Ms. Mitchell helped create a community outreach program which traveled to educate inner city youth about their rights if confronted with teen dating violence. She has also participated in the legislative process by seeking support from the Baltimore City Council to introduce and pass legislation drafted by her Community Education Team which led to the unanimous adoption of Baltimore City Resolution 12-034R, recognizing that freedom from domestic violence is a fundamental human right. Ms. Mitchell is very proud to have helped with this cause, as Baltimore is only the second city in the nation to adopt this important legislation.
For Ms. Mitchell’s work with the Family Law Clinic, she was honored by the University of Baltimore with the 2011-2012 Award of Excellence in Clinical Education, an honor awarded to only one student each year at the University.
Providing Legal Assistance for the Spanish Speaking Community
Ms. Mitchell’s undergraduate degree is in Spanish Language and Literature. She studied in Seville, Spain and is advanced in speaking, reading and writing Spanish. Ms. Mitchell is available to assist our local Spanish Speaking community with various legal needs from filing for divorce or seeking special immigrant juvenile status of a minor child.
Important Information
Practice Areas:
- Child Custody and Visitation
- Divorce
- Child Support
- Adoptions
- Guardianships (Minor & Adult)
- Mediation (Custody & Property)
- Probate or Estate Administration
- Estate Disputes
- Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives)
Bar Admissions:
- Maryland, 2012
Certifications:
- Certified Mediator
- 40 hour Basic Mediation
- 20 Hour Child Access Mediation
- 20 Hour Economic Issues in Divorce & Annulment
- Family Law for the People – Maryland Certified Instructor
- Maryland Judiciary Certified Child Counsel for Court Appointed Representation of Children
- Court Appointed Guardian for Minors and Adult Disabled Persons
- Mental Health First Aid USA – Certified by the National Council for Behavioral Health
Education:
- University of Baltimore School of Law, Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, 2012
- University of Maryland, College Park, B.A. Spanish Language & Literature, Phi Beta Kappa, 2007
Professional Associations & Community Involvement:
- Calvert County Bar Association, President 2017-2018; President Elect 2016-17; Treasurer 2014-16; Member 2013 – Present
- Southern Maryland Women’s Bar Association, Vice President 2017- Present; Treasurer 2015-2016; Founding Member
- MSBA Public Awareness Committee Member 2016 – Present
- MSBA Young Lawyer Section Council – Membership Co-Chair 2016-17; Calvert County Rep. 2014-17, 2019
- Southern Maryland Inns of Court – Barrister 2013 – Present; Inn Counselor 2017-2019
- Maryland State Bar Association – Member 2012 – Present
- Women’s Bar Association of Maryland – Member 2015 – Present
- Member of the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME) 2015 – Present
- The Community Mediation Center for Calvert County – Volunteer Mediator 2015 – Present
- Prince George’s County Bar Association – Member 2012 – 2015
- Cawood Inn of Court (Anne Arundel County) – Pupil 2010 – 2012
- Calvert Community Foundation (Subsidiary of Chesapeake Charities) – Board Member 2015 – Present
- Calvert Optimist Club – Member 2016 – Present
- High School Mock Trial Competition – Volunteer Judge 2014, Volunteer Coach 2016
- Friends of Jugg Bay – Member 2016 – Present
