Leslie M. Sammis
Leslie M. Sammis defends individuals charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses throughout the Tampa Bay area. With more than 10 years experience as a criminal defense attorney, she is admitted to practice law in the State of Florida, the State of Georgia, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals.
As a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and the NORML Legal Committee, Leslie Sammis is active in the legal community. She has devoted her entire career to defending individuals charged with criminal offenses.
Experience in Criminal Justice System
Gaining valuable insight into the criminal justice process, Ms. Sammis completed internships with the State Attorney's Office prosecuting felony offenses including three felony jury trials, the United States Attorney's Office in Tampa assisting federal prosecutors, and a federal judicial internship with the Honorable Henry Lee Adams, Jr., United States District Judge, for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.
Ms. Sammis' passion for trial advocacy lead her to the Public Defender’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she gained valuable jury trial experience while representing individuals in misdemeanor, juvenile and felony divisions. After 2 years as an Assistant Public Defender, Leslie Sammis entered private practice before founding the Sammis Law Firm in 2008.
Education
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1996, Leslie Sammis completed her first year of law school at Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. At Stetson University College of Law, Ms. Sammis competed as the only first year student on Stetson's Trial Team winning second place overall in the 1997 National Association of Trial Lawyers (ATLA) Competition in Denver.
For her second and third year of law school, Ms. Sammis transferred to the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville, Florida, where she graduated with Honors in 1999. While at the University of Florida, Ms. Sammis served on the Executive Board for the UF Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board and competed in several moot court competitions.
Shareholder at the Sammis Law Firm
After entering private practice in 2001, Ms. Sammis continued to focus exclusively on criminal and DUI defense before founding the Sammis Law Firm, P.A. Ms. Sammis provides aggressive and experienced legal representation to each of her clients charged with criminal offenses in Florida. She takes a scholarly approach to legal research using the most cutting edge resources available to stay current on recent changes in the law.
Education:
- University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1999
- Juris Doctorate, with Honors
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 1996
Bar Admissions:
- State Bar of Florida, 1999
- State Bar of Georgia, 2002
Criminal Trial Experience:
- Former Assistant Public Defender, Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida
- Federal Judicial Internship with the Honorable Henry Lee Adams, Jr., United States District Judge, for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division
- Internship with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida prosecuting felony cases and conducting felony jury trials under the supervision of the State Attorney’s Office
- Internship with the United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, assisting federal prosecutors
- UF's Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Executive Board
- Second Place National 1997 Trial Team Competition sponsored by the National Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)
Professional Associations and Memberships: