Sierra Phillips

My journey has been very non-traditional.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve known I was meant to be a lawyer. As a child, while others dreamed of being a teacher or athlete, I dreamed of standing in a courtroom, using my voice to defend people when no one else would. That early passion never faded, it only sharpened with time. However, I did not go straight from college to law school, which is the traditional route for most attorneys.

Instead, I began my legal career as an intern for Brown County Prosecutor, Ted Adams, who happened to be a former partner of The Criminal Defense Team – and an excellent trial lawyer. That experience gave me an inside look at how cases are built from the State’s side. I also observed how ineffective defense attorneys tried to resolve cases against passionate and skilled prosecutors. I then observed Andy Baldwin for the first time in an attempted murder trial against Ted. Ultimately, it was the first time that Ted had lost a jury trial.

After my internship, I joined The Criminal Defense Team as a paralegal. Working alongside some of the most dedicated and skilled defense attorneys in Indiana confirmed for me that this was exactly where I wanted to build my career. I visualized firsthand the firm’s commitment to each client, the attention to detail that goes into every case, and the collaborative energy that drives the team’s success.

I spent more than five years with the firm working as a full-time paralegal both before and during law school.  Those years were invaluable. I wasn’t just learning the law, I was living it alongside our clients. I saw their fear, their frustration, and their hope. I studied the way our attorneys built their cases and, more importantly, how the attorneys dismantled the prosecution’s case. I watched how different lawyers in the firm with different styles could come together in brainstorming sessions and in trial to produce superior results.

Our approach to criminal defense, and therefore my approach to criminal defense, is simple: there isn’t an angle we won’t explore or an avenue we won’t pursue if it means protecting our clients. We believe every person deserves not only a fierce advocate in the courtroom, but also a lawyer who sees them as more than a case number. We bring compassion to every client interaction and tenacity to every legal battle, because both are essential when the stakes are this high.

I thrive on strategy and challenge, whether it’s spotting the detail others overlooked, filing a motion that changes the direction of a case, or cross-examining a witness whose story doesn’t add up. At the same time, I never lose sight of the human being I’m fighting for. Our clients’ futures matter deeply to me, and that is what fuels my relentless work ethic.

What I value most about being part of The Criminal Defense Team is the collaborative environment. Every case benefits from the combined experience of the attorneys, paralegals, and staff who care deeply about our clients and each other. Often, in brainstorming sessions, we determine that a non-traditional approach to the case is needed for achieving our client’s best practical outcome. I’m familiar with that concept. My non-traditional journey is now being used to bring about our clients’ best practical outcome. And I’m proud to be a part of a team where each member of the firm uses their individual journeys to help achieve the same goal for each of our clients.