Harmelink, Daniel J.

Derek Samuelson is a trial lawyer who specializes in criminal defense. From his Fort Collins law office, Mr. Samuelson is proud to provide comprehensive legal representation to people charged with criminal offenses throughout northern Colorado.

He has defended clients against everything from DUI charges to the death penalty and has established a track record of trial success in the process. Before entering private practice, Mr. Samuelson spent more than a decade representing people charged with felonies and misdemeanors for the Colorado State Public Defender in the Fort Collins, Greeley and Denver Regional Offices.

In 2008, Mr. Samuelson was honored with the 'Attorney of the Year' Award from the Colorado State Public Defender for outstanding service in the practice of criminal defense. He was selected from over 300 criminal defense attorneys statewide for the award.

Mr. Samuelson's courtroom experience is extensive. He has handled thousands of criminal cases and defended clients charged with virtually every crime on the books in Colorado. He has tried and won many complex high-profile cases.

Mr. Samuelson received his law degree from the University of Denver where he graduated with high academic honors, earning membership to the Law Review and the Order of St. Ives (top 10% of the class). Mr. Samuelson earned his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Vermont, where he was a Dean's List student and captained a nationally-ranked NCAA Division I soccer team.

Away from the courtroom, Mr. Samuelson teaches continuing legal education courses to other attorneys on such topics as trial tactics, cross-examination, death penalty jury selection, and DUI defense. Mr. Samuelson is a member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Larimer County Bar Association. He has also served on the Weld County Criminal Justice Advisory Committee and the Larimer County Juvenile Drug Court Board.