Jacob Lee Salinas, Austin Criminal Attorney

Jacob Lee Salinas is a trial attorney in the Austin office of Dunham & Jones who spent a decade in public service before turning to defense work. He handles felony cases, particularly homicide and other violent crimes and child abuse allegations, in courts across Texas, and he speaks Spanish.

Before joining Dunham & Jones, Mr. Salinas spent that decade representing the people of Texas and advocating for victims, families, and communities. He served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Felony Division of the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office from 2016 to 2024, and in the Travis County District Attorney's Office from 2024 to 2026, where he was Team Leader for the 460th District Court in the Trial Court Division and worked in the Child Abuse Division. He has also worked as a public defender in Hidalgo and Bexar Counties.

Throughout his prosecutorial career, Mr. Salinas tried dozens of jury trials to verdict, most as first chair, handling serious and complex cases that included capital murder, crimes against children, and major felony offenses. As a prosecutor and public defender, he handled thousands of cases. His strengths include case evaluation, jury selection, trial strategy, and the presentation of forensic and DNA evidence. Public service gave him an understanding of people from all walks of life and of the values and experiences that shape how jurors decide, which he draws on to connect with juries and find the themes that matter in the courtroom.

Mr. Salinas earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Texas in 2009 and his Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2015, and he was licensed in Texas in 2016.

Mr. Salinas works to prevent injustice wherever it arises, to protect the innocent from wrongful prosecution, and to see that truth prevails over political influence, public pressure, unreliable scientific theories, and misconduct by those entrusted with power, guided by his faith. He believes kindness and honesty are among the most useful tools an attorney has, and he works to keep clients informed and treated with respect through a hard stretch of their lives.

Born and raised in Hidalgo County, Mr. Salinas now lives in Austin. He enjoys reading scripture and singing along to 1970s and 1980s classic rock power ballads and disco.

Jacob Lee Salinas
Criminal Defense Trial Attorney - Dunham & Jones
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law | University of North Texas
Former Assistant District Attorney, Hidalgo and Travis Counties

Jacob Lee Salinas, Attorney at Law