Ms. Harnden is a native of Sarasota, and a fifth generation Floridian. Her family has lived in Sarasota since 1903, when her great-grandfather came here to practice dentistry. Sarah’s great-uncle, attorney C.L. “Mac” McKaig, began practicing law in Sarasota in 1926 and was one of the founders of the Sarasota Bar Association as well as its first president. Sarah’s father, Ernest F. Harnden, Jr., was a long practicing estate planning lawyer in Sarasota, who began practicing law locally in 1969. Additionally, Sarah’s mother and grandmother were both teachers in Sarasota County schools.
Sarah graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. After having children, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an attorney. Sarah attended Stetson University College of Law and graduated in 2011. Sarah joined the legal honors society Phi Delta Phi while at Stetson.
Sarah lives locally with her family, and she enjoys Florida-friendly gardening and watching the wide variety of birds and butterflies that frequent her yard. She also enjoys travelling and can be found at botanical gardens wherever she visits.