Melissa A. Russo

Melissa A. Russo brings diverse civil litigation experience to Heinrich Christian, PLLC. Ms. Russo represents clients with sensitivity while aggressively asserting their rights through all phases of family law litigation, including post-trial litigation and appeals. She prepares each case to protect her client’s interests at trial, should trial be necessary; however, settlement is frequently in the best interest of clients, so Ms. Russo makes a conscientious effort to lead the case in an amicable direction by raising non-adversarial solutions if possible. She is certified in advanced family law mediation. For clients who choose alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to resolve their issues, Ms. Russo acts as a consulting attorney in mediation and arbitration settings.

In her previous legal positions, Ms. Russo acted as lead attorney in federal and state civil cases, including cases of a quasi-criminal nature. She served as Assistant Attorney General (AAG) at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, defending in liberty interest constitutional and statutory claims throughout Texas, as well as in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Prior to serving as an AAG, Ms. Russo practiced family law at the Texas Advocacy Project, where she specialized in issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. While at the Texas Advocacy Project, she presented several family law and intimate partner violence trainings around Texas, including teaching an accredited State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education (CLE) class. Ms. Russo further contributed to the authoring of a State Bar of Texas CLE publication concerning jury trends favoring property owners while she practiced law at John Marrs Ellis and Hodge, LLP, where she defended the rights of Texas property owners. It was here that Ms. Russo learned to evaluate net recovery through settlement versus pursuing a case through the trial phase.

Ms. Russo is a member of the Texas College Bar, a professional society of legal scholars in which only 10% of Texas attorneys are eligible. She has served on the State Bar’s Child Protection Law Membership Committee since 2021. Ms. Russo earned her legal degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law. While in law school, she participated in the Social Justice Litigation clinics, providing pro bono services to the indigent and victims of family violence. As an undergraduate, she attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as an Orange Jacket and graduated with high honors, earning an induction into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Alpha of Texas. Ms. Russo also holds a Texas Real Estate license.