Value of a Voice

Sara Maleki was in middle school when she found her voice—her singing voice, that is. She went on to join choirs at her high school and college, performing at Carnegie Hall and other famed venues around the world, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Duomo Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa, Italy. 

“Music has been a lifelong passion and a source of connection and expression,” says Maleki, who’s now a soprano with the Spokane Symphony Chorale. “Music, like the law, has the power to bring people together, evoke change and create lasting impact.”

Why make time for music in her busy schedule? “There is no feeling in the whole world like standing on stage with 100 other singers and 100 musicians in the orchestra, all working together to make music,” Maleki says. “Each year, the Spokane Symphony plays Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for New Year’s Eve. It’s a piece about brotherhood, and each year when we finish, I am in tears. The audience erupts out of their seats, and it’s a literal high note to end each year.” 

Maleki also serves as vice chair of the symphony’s board of directors, where she encourages diversity. She does the same at GLP Attorneys’ Spokane office, where she practices plaintiff’s personal injury law and co-chairs the Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee. Those efforts earned her a Carl Maxey Award from the Washington State Association for Justice in 2023.

“As a first-generation American and a woman of color, I understand the challenges that come with navigating spaces that have not always been inclusive,” Maleki says. “My commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply personal, and I strive to create opportunities for others by fostering inclusive environments where every voice is valued.”