Sarah Klaper was named Northwestern University’s first university ombudsperson in August 2021. Sarah comes to Northwestern from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., where she served for nine years as the University Ombudsperson

Prior to her time at NIU, Sarah was an instructor of Legal Analysis, Research, and Communication at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She also taught Education Law, as well as State and Local Government. Sarah’s background is in law, and she practiced mainly public interest work for many years. Sarah started her legal career at Southeastern Ohio Legal Services in Portsmouth, Ohio. She last practiced at the Citizen Advocacy Center in Elmhurst, Illinois, where she focused on open government work and community organizing  around issues such as the First Amendment, the Open Meetings Act, and the Freedom of Information Act. The principles of fairness and equity have guided Sarah throughout her career