Top 100 Trial Lawyer on your side

Always proud to stand for you — Never afraid to fight for you

If you need a strong advocate who takes your case as seriously as you do, Saraliene should be your first call.

Saraliene’s clients and colleagues consistently compliment her zealous advocacy. Saraliene’s clients know that each time they walk into court, Saraliene will be there to stand up for their rights.

As a former law clerk for both a federal district court judge and a state appellate court judge, Saraliene brings a unique perspective to her criminal defense practice. Having viewed trials and appeals from the court's perspective, Saraliene understands what it takes to make effective arguments at every stage of a case.

As part of an aggressive, trial-oriented criminal defense practice in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saraliene spent her early career working on all types of cases including murder appeals, sexual assault trials, federal bribery trials, and the defense of a ninety-million dollar fraud case.

In 2013, Saraliene founded her own firm in Atlanta, where she regularly assists clients with detention/bail hearings, plea negotiations, trials, sentencing hearings, and appeals at the state and federal level. Saraliene is also among a select group of private attorneys appointed by the federal court to represent clients that cannot afford representation.

Since beginning her private practice, Saraliene has had dozens of charges dismissed and rulings reversed for her clients in the US Supreme Court, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia Supreme Court, and a number of metro Atlanta courts.

Experience

Education

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration DUI Detection and Field Sobriety Tests Training Course

  • National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute

  • University of Kansas School of Law, J.D. Order of the Coif

    • Moot Court Board

    • Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy

  • Grinnell College, B.A.

Publications

It Can Happen in an Instant: Rethinking Pattern Instructions for Kansas on Premeditated Murder, 16-WTR Kan. J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 1 (2006-2007).

Chapter Nine: Proceedings Before Trial, Co-Editor, Kansas Bar Association Criminal Law Handbook, 2006.

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia

  • Kansas

  • Nevada

  • Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

  • Federal District Court for the District of Nevada

  • Georgia Court of Appeals

  • Georgia Supreme Court

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

  • United States Supreme Court

Professional Organizations

  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

  • ​Federal Bar Association

  • State Bar of Georgia - Criminal Law Section

Awards and Recognition

Contact Us

Contact us today for a free consultation. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better your chances of successfully defending your case.

Saraliene Smith Durrett, LLC
1800 Peachtree Street, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30309
ssd@defendingatl.com