Associate Attorney, California-based Walsworth LLP
Pasadena, CA
Years of Service: 2026-2031

Sophie Wagener is an attorney working as an associate at California-based Walsworth LLP. Her practice focuses on general liability and toxic tort litigation — complex cases involving exposure to harmful substances. It’s work that calls on both her scientific background and legal precision.

Before joining Walsworth, Wagener gained hands-on litigation experience serving as second chair in two civil jury trials and helping defend clients across a broad spectrum of cases, including professional, product, and premises liability. During law school, she interned with a nonprofit supporting cancer patients, in-house at a healthcare company, at the city attorney’s office, and at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. 

At Bates, Wagener pursued biology with a minor in public health and a concentration in Asian studies — an academic combination that reflects her wide-ranging interests and love of interdisciplinary thinking. In 2023, she earned her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law, magna cum laude, and is a member of the Order of the Coif.

Wagener is an active member of the alumni community who looks forward to annual reunion weekends with her close-knit circle of Bates friends. Her commitment to the college extends beyond participation — just one year after graduating, Wagener and her parents, Shaw B. Wagener and Debbie J. Heitz, established the Wagener Family Professorship at Bates, dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in STEM. Today, April Horton carries that mission forward as the Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM.