Megan Russo

Megan Russo is a Civil Rights Fellow at Relman Colfax, where she contributes to the civil rights litigation and counseling groups. Megan joined the firm in 2024, bringing with her a diverse background in social policy research and a deep commitment to civil rights advocacy.

Prior to her time at Relman Colfax, Megan clerked for the Hon. Gerald A. McHugh of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. As a first-generation college and professional student, she earned a joint law and policy degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was a Toll Public Interest Scholar, and the Harvard Kennedy School, as a John F. Kennedy scholarship recipient.

Before law school, Megan was a policy analyst at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, where she worked on researching and recommending improvements for the criminal justice system to reduce mass incarceration. Megan's extensive policy experience sets her apart. This background ensures that Megan approaches legal challenges not only from a litigation standpoint but also with a comprehensive policy-oriented mindset.

During her academic career, Megan served as an Executive Editor for The Regulatory Review and as a Senior Editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Her internships include the Civil Rights Division, Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, its Office of Legal Policy, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Fair Housing & Community Development Project.

Megan's master's thesis was a collaborative project with the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), focusing on source-of-income discrimination in housing, which provided key recommendations for NFHA's member organizations. Megan's personal experiences with homelessness have profoundly shaped her understanding of poverty as a systemic national issue, rather than merely a personal challenge. This insight, combined with her professional endeavors, drives her passion for pursuing a career at the intersection of law and policy.

Her combined lived and professional experiences inspire her dedication to effecting change within the legal and policy realms, making a tangible impact on civil rights issues today.