Sarah Newell
Criminal Defense Attorney
Sarah Newell
Sarah is committed to helping her clients navigate the complexities of today’s justice system from pre-arrest to postconviction proceedings. Sarah has a well-earned reputation for holding the government accountable every step of the way whether it’s a preliminary hearing, jury trial, or appeal. Defending the rights and freedom of clients across the state of Nebraska, Sarah has a proven record of litigating serious felony cases, including death penalty proceedings, “shaken baby” allegations, and sexual assault.
Graduating in the Top 10 percent of her class, Sarah received awards for her writing skills and extensive knowledge of Constitutional Law. After clerking for the Nebraska Supreme Court, Sarah appealed numerous cases, resulting in conviction reversals on both evidentiary and suppression grounds. She advocated to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of clients facing the death penalty.
Sarah is also a leader within her profession, serving on both the Nebraska State Bar Association’s House of Delegates and its Legislative Committee, which allows her to protect clients through policy advocacy—not just the courtroom. She served as President for the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association and the Robert Van Pelt Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Her grandmother was a Sergeant in the Marines and her father was both a veteran and a staunch advocate for the little guy. That same fighting spirit is what led her to criminal defense.
When she isn’t practicing law, Sarah and her husband enjoy completing home improvement projects, being outdoors, and spending time with their dogs, Arya and Scout, who are named after female characters that share Sarah’s dogged determination.
Work with Sarah
"I appreciated Sarah Newell's clear communication right from the start. She layed out options that were easy to understand and took to heart the goals I contacted her with. She answered every email and phone call in such a timely manner!!! She and her team were very easy to work with and connected through the whole process. I never felt like just another file on their desk."
- E.L.
"Sarah was very effective in my defense, she kept it clean and stood up for what was right, I would highly recommend Sarah as your defense attorney."
- D.
Credentials
Awards
- Robert Van Pelt American Inn of Court Warren K Urbom Mentor Award
- Marquis Who’s Who in America
Areas of Practice
- Child Abuse/ Accidental Injuries
- Homicide/ Capital Crimes
- Criminal Appeals
- Sexual Assault/ Title IX
- Mental Health/ Insanity
- Major Felonies
Bar Admissions
- Nebraska
- U.S. District Court District of Nebraska
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, B.A. in Psychology with High Distinction; Minor in Criminal Justice, 2001
- University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, Nebraska, J.D. with High Distinction, 2005
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- Nebraska State Bar Association
- Lincoln Bar Association
- Robert Van Pelt American Inn of Court
- Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association
- Judicial Nominating Commission for Chief Justice
Presentations and Publications
- Sarah P. Newell, State v. Gales, 265 Neb. 598, 658 N.W.2d 604 (2003): The First Test of Nebraska’s New System of Capital Punishment. The Battle is Over, But What About the War, 83 NEB. L. REV. 932 (2005).
- Mario J. Scalora, David O. Washington, Thomas Casady, & Sarah P. Newell, Nonfatal Workplace Violence Risk Factors: Data from a Police Contact Sample, 18 JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 310 (2003).
- Mario J. Scalora, David O. Washington, Sarah P. Newell, Thomas Casady, & Lloyd Hansen, Epidemiological Data of Nonfatal Workplace Violence From Local & State Law Enforcement Samples, 2 JOURNAL OF THREAT ASSESSMENT 17 (2003).
- Sarah P. Newell, Mario J. Scalora, & Heather Slawson, Reported Trends for Harassing and Threatening Contacts Toward a State Legislature, Poster presented at the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY-LAW SOCIETY 2002 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, Austin, Texas.
- Sarah P. Newell, Mario J. Scalora, David O. Washington, & Thomas Casady, Nonfatal Workplace Violence: The Role of the Perpetrator-Victim Relationship in Violence Intensity, Paper presented at the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY-LAW SOCIETY 2000 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, New Orleans, Louisiana.
- David O. Washington, Sarah P. Newell, Mario J. Scalora, & Thomas Casady, Nonfatal Workplace Violence: International Applications of Empirically-Derived American Risk Factors, Paper presented at the PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, Dublin, Ireland (1999).
