Salvatore (Sam) Amata has been the supervisor of the Supervisor of the Youth and Parent Defense Division of the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office for over 35 years. He has been a steadfast advocate for youth and parents alike in the Juvenile system, and has helped increase both the quality of and access to counsel. He has mentored and trained numerous new attorneys to become zealous advocates for the Office’s clients. Sam is also a prior recipient of the Noel E. Kaech Juvenile Defender Award.

Sam has served as an adjunct faculty member and has taught criminal justice classes in the Department of Social Work at Cleveland State University. Prior to his employment with the Public Defender Office, he served as co-director of the Free Clinic Legal Department and as a magistrate in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. He is a graduate of Kent State University and Cleveland State Law School.