Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in New Orleans, LA

Sara Johnson is a defense attorney based in New Orleans, Louisiana, who handles all types of criminal matters throughout Louisiana and Texas.  She has over a decade of legal experience, with extensive experience in federal and white collar matters, and is widely considered a passionate advocate for her clients at the trial and appellate levels.  She has deep familiarity with all aspects of the criminal process, including motions practice, plea and immunity negotiations, appeals, forfeitures, and post-conviction matters.  Recognizing her abilities, New Orleans Magazine included her on its “top lawyers” lists for 2019 and 2020.

In addition to her law practice, Ms. Johnson teaches Constitutional Criminal Procedure at Tulane University Law School. She is active in the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors and formerly served as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Division. She also belongs to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Women’s White Collar Defense Association.

Ms. Johnson received her law degree from Tulane University Law School, where she participated in the Criminal Justice Clinic and earned the highest grade in the school's Criminal Law Seminar, served as Senior Managing Editor of the Tulane Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, and externed for then-Chief Judge Helen G. Berrigan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  While still a law student under the supervision of Professor Pam Metzger, now director of the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at SMU, Ms. Johnson secured the release of 27 overdetained criminal defendants and conducted preliminary needs assessments on 400 pre-trial cases.  She holds licenses to practice law before all Louisiana and Texas state courts, all Louisiana federal courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.