Sarah Olson has served as the IDS Forensic Resource Counsel since 2010. As Forensic Resource Counsel, she assists public defenders and private appointed counsel with understanding and challenging, where appropriate, the scientific evidence in their cases. Sarah shares information with legal teams through individual case consults, her forensic website, and continuing legal education programs. Prior to working as Forensic Resource Counsel, Sarah was an Assistant Public Defender in Durham, NC where she represented clients in Durham’s District and Superior Courts. After law school Sarah completed a fellowship with the Fair Trial Initiative where she worked as a part of defense teams representing clients in capital cases throughout North Carolina. She has served as Chair of the Criminal Defense Section for the NC Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), Co-Chair of the NCAJ Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, and as Co-Chair of the Forensic Science Resource Committee for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Sarah is a member of NCAJ’s Criminal Defense section and Women’s Caucus.

She earned her J.D. at Boalt Hall, UC-Berkeley and has been a member of NCAJ since 2006.