Rachel joined SJP in 2014 shortly after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, where she focused her studies and training on representing young people in the juvenile legal system. During law school, she interned with the Gault Center (formerly the National Juvenile Defender Center), the Juvenile Services Program of the Public Defender Service for DC, and a specialized division of Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender representing children charged as adults. In her final year, Rachel served as a student attorney in Georgetown’s Juvenile Justice Clinic and as a teaching assistant for a course on advocating for young people at the deepest end of the juvenile system.

Over the past decade at SJP, Rachel’s role has evolved significantly. She began as a Staff Attorney before becoming a Supervising Attorney in 2017, training and supervising new team members. Today, Rachel serves as SJP’s Director of Operations, providing organizational leadership by overseeing financial, human resources, and development systems, and managing day-to-day operations—all while continuing to support SJP’s programmatic work.

Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Miami, where her volunteer work with young people aging out of foster care and students with disabilities sparked her commitment to becoming an attorney.

Rachel is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Rachel can be reached at: rrusso@sjpdc.org.