Bio
Sarah Bernardo is the Policy Fellow at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, where she works to protect civil liberties and advance systemic equity across the islands through policy development and legislative advocacy.
Sarah is a lawyer with a deep commitment to social justice and human rights. Prior to joining the ACLU of Hawai‘i, she was a Research Scholar at the Institute for Law & AI where she provided legal research and policy advice on governing frontier artificial intelligence. She has also conducted research for the European Court of Human Rights and the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.
Sarah began her career as a corporate attorney at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York, focusing on private equity mergers and acquisitions. Her work on immigration and nonprofit corporate governance matters earned her a Pro Bono Achiever award.
Raised in Sugar Land, Texas, Sarah received her J.D. from Yale Law School and holds a B.A. in English and Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley with High Distinction in General Scholarship and Highest Honors in Legal Studies.
In her free time, Sarah loves to watch movies, explore museums, and try new recipes.