Melissa Riess

Melissa Riess is a Senior Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, a position held since September 2022, after serving as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice from January to September 2022. Riess has significant experience in advocacy for individuals with disabilities, having previously worked in the same role at Disability Rights Advocates from September 2017 to January 2022. Other professional roles include Associate at The Meade Firm, Lawyer at Berwin Leighton Paisner, and Legal Administrative Officer at the Norwegian Refugee Council. Riess began a legal career as a Paralegal at the Supreme Court of California. Educational credentials include a Doctor of Law (JD) from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, a Master of Laws (LLM) from SOAS University of London, and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a focus on Public Policy from Brown University.