Louis Kamara
Louis Kamara is a D.C. criminal defense attorney at Scrofano Law PC with more than two decades of courtroom trial experience in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. A former Baltimore City public defender and fifteen-year member of the D.C. Superior Court Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel, he has defended thousands of people against charges ranging from misdemeanor traffic and domestic matters to complex felony prosecutions involving firearms, drugs, and violent crime.
Fluent in English, French, and Wolof, Louis is one of the few French- and Wolof-speaking criminal defense attorneys serving Washington, D.C. and the broader DMV—pairing deep procedural trial experience with direct, accessible advocacy for the region’s diverse and immigrant communities.
D.C. Criminal Defense Rooted in Baltimore’s Toughest Courtrooms
Louis’s path to criminal defense was defined by resilience and self-reliance long before he entered an American courtroom. Born in Senegal, he earned a master’s degree in Business Law from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar before immigrating to the United States in his early twenties.
Arriving in a new country meant starting over. Rather than take a comfortable path, Louis set out to master the American legal system from the ground up, earning his Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan and admission to the Maryland Bar in 2003. That firsthand experience—navigating a foreign bureaucracy and adapting to an unfamiliar culture—instilled an enduring empathy for people caught in overwhelming systems.
He took that drive straight into one of the most demanding court environments in the nation: the Baltimore City Public Defender’s Office. For six years, Louis litigated in the trenches of Baltimore’s District and Circuit Courts, defending indigent clients against serious felony charges. Those formative years taught him the true weight of the system and cemented his belief that every person accused by the government deserves a fierce, dedicated advocate.
Fifteen Years on the D.C. Superior Court CJA Panel
Admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 2010, Louis launched the Law Offices of Louis Kamara, LLC in Washington, D.C. the following year. Alongside his private practice, he dedicated more than a decade to the D.C. Superior Court Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel, advancing to full panel membership in 2013.
Over fifteen years on the panel, Louis handled hundreds of contested proceedings, preliminary hearings, motions, and trials involving firearm allegations, drug charges, violent crimes, and domestic violence. In September 2026, he closed his solo practice to bring his twenty-year trial legacy to Scrofano Law PC’s flagship Washington, D.C. office. He remains an active member of the Maryland Bar and continues part-time panel service with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, handling telephonic commissioner hearings—frontline work that keeps him close to the high-stakes advocacy that has defined his career.
A French and Wolof-Speaking Defense Attorney for the DMV
Whether explaining proceedings to an immigrant client in French or Wolof, standing beside a local resident at a first court date, or fighting to protect a client’s future, Louis operates on an uncompromising principle: you are a human being, not a case number. His cross-cultural fluency lets him reach clients other attorneys simply cannot.
What clients say: Former clients consistently point to Louis’s steady demeanor under pressure, describing him as “informative, assertive, respectful, kind, and honest,” and crediting him with making “the entire process incredibly calm and stress-free.”
Defense by Attrition in the District of Columbia
At Scrofano Law PC, Louis practices the firm’s core methodology: Defense by Attrition. Having run his own practice and spent decades in the public well, he rejects high-volume, assembly-line defense. He uses the firm’s focused structure to thoroughly mine the evidentiary record, challenge police reports, and hold prosecutors strictly to their constitutional burden.
Practice Areas (Washington, D.C.)
- Firearms & Weapons Offenses — carrying charges, possession, and regulatory violations
- Violent Crimes & Felonies — assault, robbery, and high-stakes indictments
- Drug Offenses — misdemeanor and felony possession and distribution
- Domestic Violence & Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) — sensitive familial disputes and emergency hearings
- Traffic & DUI Defense — reckless driving, DUI/DWI, and serious traffic matters
Bar Admissions & Appointments
- Maryland Bar (2003)
- District of Columbia Bar (2010)
- D.C. Superior Court CJA Panel — appointed 2011; full panel member 2013–2026
- Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association (STLA), member
- Maryland Office of the Public Defender — part-time panel / duty-day attorney
Education & Languages
- J.D., Thomas M. Cooley Law School
- Master’s in Business Law, Cheikh Anta Diop University (Dakar, Senegal)
- Languages: English, French, Wolof
202-618-2925
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Being charged with a crime can have serious consequences, including fines, a criminal record, or even jail time. Having an experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side can make a critical difference in the outcome of your case.
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