Samantha J. Carpenter

Samantha J. Carpenter is John Wesley Hall’s associate attorney, and her practice includes criminal law, state and federal appeals and post-conviction litigation. Originally from Arkansas, she graduated from the William H. Bowen School of Law in 2018 and was admitted to the Arkansas bar that same year. During law school she worked as a law clerk with John Wesley Hall, as well as the Pulaski County Public Defender’s office and the Capital Division of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission. After admission to the bar, she worked with the Arkansas Department of Human Services where she specialized in child welfare law and represented the Department in Dependency-Neglect proceedings before coming to work for Mr. Hall.

Samantha was admitted to practice in the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas in 2020. Currently she is a member of the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. In addition to litigation and appellate work, she works on John Wesley Hall's publications including: Search and Seizure (5th ed. 2013), Trial Handbook for Arkansas Lawyers (4th ed. 2018), and Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice (4th ed. 2023).

Her legal practice concentrates on appellate work in both state and federal court. Additionally, she handles a variety of post-conviction litigation ranging from clemency applications to removal from the sex offender registry.