Sarah Thompson is the founder of Thompson Animal Law and a nationally recognized advocate for
animals and their guardians. She brings more than a decade of legal experience to her practice,
along with a career-long commitment to animal welfare in litigation, teaching, writing, and public
service.
Before founding Thompson Animal Law, Sarah served as a partner at Ryther Law Group, LLP,
where she acted as lead counsel on more than 200 cases and helped grow and manage the firm's
caseload of approximately 140 clients at a time. Her work has included veterinary malpractice
claims, tort matters involving boarders, trainers, and groomers, dangerous dog cases, shelter reform,
nonprofit representation, and pet custody disputes, including matters intersecting with family law
and domestic violence concerns.
 
Sarah has been named a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers for seven consecutive
years, from 2020 through 2026. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the Center for Animal Law
Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, where she teaches Animal Law Trial Advocacy, and she has
taught Legal Drafting at the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Her broader work in the field includes publishing and speaking on topics such as pet custody,
farmed animal issues, wildlife protection, and animal rights. Sarah also serves in leadership roles
within the legal community, including the American Bar Association’s Getting Started in Animal
Law Task Force and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Animal Law Section, where she co-
chairs the Farmed Animal Law Committee. In addition, she is the Co-Founder and President of Red
Wolf Rescue, reflecting the firm’s broader commitment to strengthening protections for animals,
including wolves and wolf dogs–a particularly personal passion as the mom of three rescue wolf
dogs.

Learn more about Thompson Animal Law: www.thompsonanimallaw.com