Sam A. Harton

Sam Harton is an attorney who puts her whole heart into her cases. She fights for her clients because she believes powerful corporations and government entities must be held accountable when they put profit, property, and power over people. She primarily handles cases involving civil rights violations in correctional facilities, and she is equally passionate about her cases involving police misconduct, medical malpractice, and serious injuries resulting from dangerous premises.

Sam is incredibly honored to represent the family of Alexis Sluder, a sixteen-year-old girl who lost her life inside of a juvenile detention facility in Georgia, as well as families across the country who have lost their loved ones to the violence and cruelty of the punishment industry. She also represents many families who have lost their loved ones to suicide in jail or prison. She strives to seek justice for her clients as well as broader, systemic reform to stop the rampant abuse of people affected by mass incarceration. 

Sam graduated cum laude from Emerson College, then graduated with her Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University of Moritz College of Law with the Dean’s Highest Honors in Public Service. In law school, she was the President of the Public Interest Law Foundation, co-founded the Moritz Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, and was an Eminent Scholar. During law school, she was a Law Clerk with Illinois Prison Project and for Jared Kosoglad, as well as a Legal Extern for Justice Michael P. Donnelly of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

In her free time, Sam enjoys rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals, coaching volleyball, and spending time with her husband and three cats. 

• The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Juris Doctor
• Emerson College, Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing

• The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch, 2025
• Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers®, 2024-Present
• Eminent Scholar Full Tuition Merit Scholarship - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• Dean’s List Highest Honors in Public Service - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• National Lawyers Guild, Moritz Chapter, Co-Founder - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• Public Interest Law Foundation, President - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• Academic All-Conference, Varsity Volleyball Team - Emerson College

• Legal Observer, National Lawyers Guild

• Southern District of Illinois
• Northern District of Indiana
• Illinois Supreme Court
• Northern District of Illinois
• Central District of Illinois
• Eastern District of Wisconsin

• Panelist, Lunch & Learn: Civil Rights, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Chicago, IL, September 2023