Brittany K. Barnett is a nationally acclaimed attorney and strategist known for her expertise in federal criminal defense, executive clemency, and corporate and entertainment law. She brings a rare blend of legal precision, business acumen, and lived experience to complex, high-stakes matters.

Brittany is one of few attorneys in the nation to have secured clemency for clients across three presidential administrations—Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. Through clemency and other post-conviction advocacy, she has helped free more than 70 people serving unjust federal sentences.

Beyond the courtroom, Brittany advises executives, entrepreneurs, and artists across industries, helping clients navigate legal, business, and reputational challenges with clarity and confidence. She began her career in corporate finance at Winstead and later served as Associate General Counsel at ORIX, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.

Driven by her own family’s experience with incarceration, Brittany co-founded the Buried Alive Project and founded Manifest Freedom and Girls Embracing Mothers—initiatives advancing justice, entrepreneurship, and healing for system-impacted communities.

Brittany is the best-selling author of A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, an NAACP Image Award nominee and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Her TED Talk, The Creativity, Innovation, and Ingenuity Languishing in U.S. Prisons, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times. Her impact has been featured on major outlets including NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Good Morning America, CNN, Essence, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

A graduate of SMU Dedman School of Law, where she received the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award, Brittany also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and is a licensed CPA.