Hon. Robert T. Russell, Jr.

When Judge Russell was a high school student, the Buffalo Community Action Organization took him on a college tour to visit historically Black colleges. When Russell visited Atlanta, he decided to attend Morehouse College. He then attended Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He chose to pursue a law career because “it is an honorable profession” and he wanted to help people. His family has always supported his choice and motivated him to do well.

After Russell graduated from law school, he worked for the state attorney general’s office in Columbus, Ohio, as well as in private practice, for seven years. He then decided to return home to Buffalo, where he had family. In Buffalo, he went to work for DA Richard J. Arcara in the Erie County District Attorney’s Office for two years. He then worked in the New York State Attorney General’s office as a specialized prosecutor for Medicaid fraud. In 1991, he was elected a Buffalo City Court judge.

Serving as a City Court judge, he saw that the crack cocaine epidemic, other street drugs and attendant mental health issues were repeatedly bringing offenders back to court and ruining their lives. He began to imagine the possibilities of a treatment court offering a second chance to those who agreed to rehabilitation and stayed out of trouble. In 1995 he established Buffalo’s Drug Treatment Court, followed by the Buffalo Mental Health Court in 2002.

In 2008, Russell created the nation’s first Veterans Treatment Court, a hybrid drug and mental health court dedicated to serving the needs of veterans. The special court is designed to accommodate issues that are unique to veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder caused by combat experience. Significantly, the court uses military culture to connect with the vets. Russell believes that recognizing the service of veterans is vital to their recovery. “We are doing a disservice to those who served us if we don’t do something,” he said.

Russell and his wife have three grown children with their own families. No one is practicing law.

He has been inducted into the Justice for Vets Hall of Fame and received the 2010 Veterans of Foreign Wars Citizenship Award, among many other honors, including accolades from the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.