About Melanie
Melanie Ellwanger began her academic path in Georgia and finished law school in Arkansas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and Conflict Resolution from Brenau University in 2004, then continued to the University of Arkansas School of Law, receiving her J.D. in 2007. Those years framed an early interest in courtroom work and dispute resolution.
She entered public service soon after law school. In 2007 she served as Assistant Solicitor-General in Forsyth County, handling misdemeanor prosecutions and appearing regularly in superior and state court. That role gave her front-line courtroom experience and exposure to a wide range of criminal matters. In 2010 she moved into private practice as a senior associate at Head, Thomas, Webb & Willis, LLC, where she handled criminal defense and related litigation matters for individuals and businesses.
In 2014 she established her own practice, operating as Melanie M. Ellwanger, Lawyer at Law. Over the following years she built a small firm focused on trial work and client representation in criminal cases. The shift from prosecutor to defense attorney shaped how she approaches cases. She understands both sides of the courtroom and often draws on that perspective when developing strategies for clients.
Ellwanger practices in Georgia. Her credentials include certification in DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing through N.H.T.S.A. and the I.A.C.P. She is a member of the Cobb County Bar Association, the National College for DUI Defense, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the North Fulton Bar Association. Those memberships keep her connected to peers and current practices in criminal defense, particularly in driving-under-the-influence matters.
Clients and colleagues describe her work as straightforward and practical. She prepares cases for trial but also explores negotiated resolutions when they serve a client’s interests. Her courtroom experience spans preliminary hearings, bench trials and jury trials, and she regularly deals with evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in criminal prosecutions.
Outside the courtroom she maintains continuing legal education in DUI law and trial practice. She has kept pace with changes in field-sobriety testing standards and the forensic aspects of DUI investigations.
She currently maintains a private practice in Georgia handling criminal defense and DUI-related cases.
