Danielle F. Snook, 33
Assistant Public Defender
Brunswick Judicial Circuit Public Defender
Kingsland
Professional responsibilities: Provide zealous representation to indigent defendants charged with criminal offenses in Superior and Juvenile Courts. Advocate for the best resolution for every case whether at jury trial, through plea negotiations or securing dismissals.
Accomplishments/Honors: Graduated first in my class at Savannah Law School in 2016. Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award, Savannah Law School, 2016. Progressive advancement at the Public Defenders Office.
Community Involvement: Participate in discussions with local law enforcement, government officials and jail administration regarding policies effecting Public Defender clients and case management. Volunteer for band boosters and chaperone school field trips.
Why did you go into your particular field? Criminal defense work is very engaging and challenging. It allows me to uphold client’s rights, improve people’s lives, work on exciting cases, and share my knowledge of the law and legal system with others.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I knew from a young age I wanted to be a lawyer. My mom always told me I should be a lawyer, because I could argue why the grass was green and why the sky was blue, and had an uncanny ability to always find loopholes.
What was your first job? Lifeguard at MWR Kings Bay Base Pool at 15 years old
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? “Love what you do!” – I have this quote in my office.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? I get to help people, often during the most difficult times of their life. I get to give a voice to those who are often overlooked and voiceless.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started your career? I wish I knew, and I wish more people knew, how unfair and one-sided the criminal justice system can be to those accused of crimes, especially those who are indigent.
Who do you consider to be your greatest mentor and why? My greatest mentors are my fellow attorneys at the Brunswick Judicial Circuit Public Defenders Office. We all mentor each other in a sense, with experienced attorneys mentoring new attorneys, and the experienced attorneys learning a thing or two from the newer attorneys. I love how we are a family, and we share our triumphs, experiences, and struggles, and can all learn from each other. I especially look up to the senior attorneys in our office including Jonathan Lockwood, Sophia Butler and Alex Smith.
When you’re not at work, what do you do to relax? Spend time with my family – my kids.
What is something about you that most people don’t know? I worked full-time for a federal contractor and DFCS while getting my bachelor’s degree. I earned my master’s degree in public administration, while working full-time, before I went to law school. And I was a single parent through all of my master’s program and law school. My son was 4 when I started law school and I graduated shortly before his seventh birthday. I didn’t have a typical college or law school experience, and had to overcome many difficulties, but still graduated top of my class.
How do you hope to grow in your career? I hope to continue climbing up the ranks at the Public Defenders Office and take on more leadership/mentorship roles, maybe become a Circuit Public Defender, and eventually, I would like to be a judge.
If you couldn’t do what you’re doing now, what would you be doing? I could not image myself doing anything other than law, but if I wasn’t practicing as an attorney, I would be a professor, teaching the next generation of lawyers.