Cassie Sands
Associate Attorney
I attended Azusa Pacific University for my undergraduate degree where I received my bachelor’s degree in applied psychology. Thereafter, I attended Chapman University Fowler School of Law for my J.D.
During my time at Chapman, I participated in Mock Trial being one of few first-year law students permitted to compete. I received honors for the highest grade in Family Law and recognition of Excellence in Trial Advocacy. I was admitted to the California State Bar in November 2023.
Prior to my admission to the State Bar, I was a Certified Law Student for 2.5 years, which meant that I was permitted by the California State Bar to practice law under the supervision of a Licensed attorney. Prior to that role, I was a Family Law Paralegal for nearly 3 years. Having worked in every area of a Family Law Firm, I am familiar with each step of a family law proceeding, from the clerical to the procedural, to the legal.
Since the start of my work in Family Law, it has been my passion. What I have learned in that time is that, often, when I tell people that I work in Family Law the inevitable reaction generally comes with a “Why?”
My why is the same speech I give every time a client initiating a new Family Law matter meets with me for the first time. I tell all of those individuals this:
- Family law attorneys are not weapons of mass destruction. At least, they should not be. The role of the family law attorney is not scorched earth. If you are looking for a “snake” or “shark,” remember that both are mindless equal opportunity biters; when nothing more interesting comes along, they will bite you.
- In contrast to being weapons of mass destruction, I like to look at family law attorneys as the bomb squad. If you are in my office, then the bomb is already planted. My job in that instance is to diffuse wherever possible (reconciliation is a beautiful and celebrated thing) and, where it is not possible to diffuse the bomb, to lessen the blast radius, minimize collateral damage, and ensure that no innocent bystanders are harmed. It isn’t to throw someone else on top of the bomb.
- I see family law attorneys as the bomb squad for a critical reason: one day, my office will not be a part of the client’s life. A judge will not tell them what to do. They won’t have Family Court Services mediators to help them talk to their ex-partner. What will be left is my client, their ex-partner, and whatever sanity, money, and family remains. What I do, then, matters. My goal is to keep my client as intact as possible and get them out of the “blast zone” as quickly and carefully as possible so that they can move forward and be healthy and whole people living a healthy and full life.
Because I feel so strongly about the nature of Family Law matters and the clients involved in them, it is very easy for this field to be my passion and for me to put my clients, their families, and their future selves at the forefront of each case.
My professional interests mirror closely my personal interests. As a studious person and lover of puzzles, professionally legal research and discovery are my two favorite areas of practice. On the personal side, I fondly enjoy reading and have vast personal library. I enjoy music, both listening and performing. I volunteer my time with various organizations with Legal Aid Society,
