Sam A. Harton

Sam A. Harton is a Civil Rights legal team member at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC. Sam primarily works with those affected by police misconduct, civil rights violations in prison, wrongful death and serious personal injuries.

Sam graduated cum laude from Emerson College with a B.A. in Writing, Literature, & Publishing. She graduated with her Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University of Moritz College of Law with the Dean’s Highest Honors in Public Service. At 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 and was a Legal Extern for Justice Michael P. Donnelly of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

She is particularly passionate about representing currently and formerly incarcerated individuals who have been harmed by the punishment industry. In her current practice, she primarily represents clients who have suffered injury and loss at the hands of corrections officers, correctional healthcare providers, and other government officials in prisons and jails. Previously, she has written clemency petitions, motions for post-conviction relief, and letters to corrections agencies seeking the release of incarcerated clients. She strives to seek justice for her clients as well as broader, systemic reform to stop the rampant abuse of people affected by the punishment system. 

In her free time, Sam enjoys gardening, making crafts, and spending time with her partner and their three cats.

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

• 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