About Aaliyah

Aaliyah Russell is from Virginia Beach, VA and attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. There she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics. While in college she was part of the Student Government Association, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, served on the Honor Council, and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She later came to North Carolina in 2018 to attend Elon University School of Law where they offer an accelerated law school program that finishes in 2.5 years. While in law school she was an advocacy fellow and did pro bono work with Legal Aid as well as the Innocence Commission.

In addition, she also interned at Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Prisons while in law school. Since graduation, she has done Post Conviction work with NC Prisoner Legal Services and handled traffic and DWI cases in Orange and Alamance County with a private criminal defense firm.

She is very passionate about physical and mental health and when not in court likes to go to the gym or read. Her favorite book is The Vanishing Half.

Aaliyah Russell has always had an interest in advocating for those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. She aspires to be a voice for the voiceless and seek justice in all that she does.