Sarah R. Saldaña was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.  She received her Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, from Texas A&I University in 1973. In 1984, she earned her Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law, where she was a member of the Journal of Air Law & Commerce.

Prior to beginning law school, Saldaña was a Language Arts school teacher in Dallas.  From 1974 to 1981, she worked for several federal agencies, including the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Housing and Urban Development and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  In 1984, she served as law clerk to The Honorable Barefoot Sanders, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Thereafter, Saldaña was in private practice in Dallas–first at Haynes and Boone, LLP and later at Baker Botts, L.L.P.  From 1985-1987, Saldaña also taught Legal Writing and Research Methods at SMU Dedman School of Law.  She was appointed to the City of Dallas Zoning Board of Adjustment by Mayor Annette Strauss for the 1989-1991 term.  

In 2004, she became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Dallas-based Northern District of Texas, prosecuting a variety of criminal cases on behalf of the United States, including bank and mortgage fraud, civil rights, human trafficking and public corruption.  In January 2009, Saldaña was promoted to Deputy Criminal Chief, managing the Major Fraud/Public Corruption Section.   

On June 28, 2011, Saldaña was nominated by President Obama for the position of U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Texas, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 26, 2011. She is the first Hispanic to hold that position, and is the first Hispanic female to serve as U.S. Attorney in the State of Texas.

Saldaña is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, including prior service on the Judiciary Committee, Federal Judiciary Complaint Committee and the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee.  She is a member of the William Mac Taylor Inn of Court, and the Dallas and Texas Bar Foundations. She is a prior member of the SMU Law Alumni Association Council.  

Sarah Saldaña was recently named as one of Al Dia’s (Dallas Morning News’ Spanish-language newspaper) “People of the Year” for 2011.  She was also nominated, among others, for 2011 Dallas Morning News’ “Texan of the Year.”  In September 2011, she received the Hispanic National Bar Association’s “Latina Attorney of the Year” award.