Professor Sarah K. Wiant has an extensive history with the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She first joined the community as an Assistant Law Librarian in 1972. At the same time, she became a member of the first class of women and completed her degree in 1978. After finishing her J.D., she became the Director of the Law Library and an Assistant Professor of Law. She moved to Associate Professor of Law in 1984, while maintaining her role as Director of the Library. She has held her position of a full Professor of Law since 1993. Professor Wiant stepped down from her position as Director in 2010, and continued to teach full time. She became an emerita member of the law faculty in 2017.

Wiant's scholarship focuses on Copyright Law, Intellectual Property, Trademarks, Unfair Competition, and Admiralty Maritime Law. She has published extensive work in Copyright Law, including two books: Libraries and Copyright: A Guide to Copyright Law in the 1990’s, and Copyright Handbook. Her numerous book chapters can be found in the series of Specialized Legal Research, as well as in Developments in Copyright Law, and the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. She has written articles and columns for publications such as Virginia Lawyer, AALL Spectrum, and the National Paralegal Reporter.