Sarah M. Stevenson

Sarah M. Stevenson is a shareholder at Modrall Sperling in Santa Fe and a member of the firm’s Natural Resources Department. She represents public entities and private businesses in natural resources and litigation matters. Her practice focuses on water law, including water adjudications and interstate water compacts, as well as Native American law involving natural resource development, jurisdiction, indigenous rights, and contract formation on Native American land.

Stevenson earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 2009 and a joint M.A. in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University. She received a B.A. in American Studies with honors from Scripps College in 2001. During law school, she was a Crowley Scholar in International Human Rights and participated in the Leitner Human Rights Clinic. She later clerked for Justice Patricio M. Serna of the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Stevenson’s experience includes advising clients on projects involving Native American land and litigating disputes involving water, business matters, employment issues, and First Amendment claims. Her work requires navigating overlapping regulatory, jurisdictional, and contractual questions while helping clients move projects forward and resolve disputes. She is admitted in New Mexico and New York and also practices before the United States Supreme Court, the Tenth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Sarah M. Stevenson serves as Managing Director of Modrall Sperling’s Santa Fe office and chairs the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Her honors include recognition in Chambers USA for Native American Law and Water Law, Benchmark Litigation recognition as a Litigation Star, and Best Lawyers recognition in Environmental Law and Native American Law. Best Lawyers also named her 2026 Environmental Law Lawyer of the Year in Santa Fe.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder, Modrall Sperling Law Firm
• Member, State Bar of New Mexico
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Board Member, New Mexico Women’s Bar Association (2021-2024)
• Board Member, Indian Law Section, State Bar of New Mexico (2016-2018)
• Chair of Public Lands and Indian Law Section, Annual Institute, Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (2024)
• Ex Officio Member, New Mexico Supreme Court Commission on Equity and Justice (2021-Present)
• Member, Oliver Seth American Inn of Court
• Chair, Modrall Sperling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

Licensed State

• New Mexico
• New York

Education

• Fordham University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD) Magna Cum Laude
• Fordham University
  Master of Arts (MA) in International Political Economy and Development
• Scripps College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in American Studies

Awards & Badges