Assistant Counsel to the Academy/Special Victim Advisor

Ms. Samantha Oakes

Samantha Oakes, a member of the Maritime Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel, serves a combined role of Assistant Counsel to the Academy and Special Victim Advisor (SVA).  In addition to providing legal advice to the Academy’s administrators on various issues, she is also a resource for Midshipmen, faculty, and staff who have questions about the processes involved in reporting and handling cases of sexual assault, sexual or gender-based harassment, relationship violence, stalking, or retaliation.

Before joining the Academy, Ms. Oakes was an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. She was a trial assistant where she handled cases from investigation through disposition. She prosecuted various types of cases including assault, forcible touching, domestic violence, stalking, and vehicular homicide.  As an Assistant District Attorney she aided victims of sexual assault and domestic violence as they interacted with the criminal justice system.

Ms. Oakes is admitted to practice law in New York State.  She graduated from Brooklyn Law School where she was Notes and Comments Editor for the Journal of International Law, a member of the National Moot Court Competition team and a member of The Order of the Barristers. She received a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Justice from American University.