As General Counsel, Sarah V. Wood has general authority and responsibility to assist the office as needed. while advocating for systemic reform and working with local officials and community stakeholders to enact progressive policy changes. She is a foremost expert on the inner workings of bail and local system logistics, particularly as related to the changes that placed Houston on the cutting edge of bail reform.

Licensed in 2005, she worked in private criminal trial and appellate practice. Then when the PDO opened in 2011, she was one of the office's first hires. She served in the Appellate Division for over six years, litigating appeals and consulting on felony trials and became Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law. In 2017, when arrestees were finally permitted lawyers for their initial bail hearings, Sarah was one of the first attorneys to work inside the jail.

Sarah developed several prominent training and mentorship programs for young lawyers, including the HCCLA Second Chair Program and the Future Appointed Counsel Training Program which was later expanded to cover the entire state of Texas.

She served on the Board of Directors for the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) for over ten years and received awards including Unsung Hero and Member of the Year, and in 2020 she received the President's Award for her efforts mobilizing a response to the pandemic to reduce the jail population.