Bruce H. Russell, II, Esq.
Bruce has practiced law for over twenty years, In that time, he has been a prosecutor, law professor, member of a small firm, and a sole practitioner, and is proud of his service to his Commonwealth and community in each of these roles. He is honored to have been named a Leader In The Law for 2020 by Virginia Lawyers Weekly, an award which recognizes the lawyers across the Commonwealth who are setting the standard for other Virginia lawyers. “Leaders” are recognized for changing the law, serving the community, changing practice or improving Virginia’s justice system, among other accomplishments.
Bruce graduated from Richlands High School, The University of Virginia (where he served on the Honor Committee and its Executive Committee as Chairman of the Bad Check Committee), and the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law. He began his legal career in Charlottesville at the turn of the century (a phrase which sounds more impressive than it probably is) with the boutique firm of Thompson & Hagy, focusing on representing small high-tech companies, primarily start-ups.
He soon returned to the hills of his youth in Southwest Virginia to pursue an opportunity to join the Buchanan County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as the only full-time assistant. While there he prosecuted everything from murder to the theft of fighting roosters. Shortly after arriving in Grundy, the Appalachian School of brought him onboard as an adjunct faculty member at the then-fledgling school.
Returning to private practice in 2003, Bruce joined the law firm of Bolling & Hearl (eventually Bolling Hearl Russell), working out of Abingdon and Richlands, plus parts in between. Bruce established his own firm in 2009, sharing space in Lebanon with the Hall-of-Fame attorney Steve Quillen, where he remains to this day, practicing law throughout Southwest Virginia, including his offices in Abingdon and Tazewell.
Bruce logs thousands of miles each years traveling between the courthouses of the Western end of the state. He thinks of himself as the modern evolution of the “Virginia Country Lawyer,” and his successful general practice encompasses criminal defense, traffic citations ranging from speeding tickets to DUI, domestic relations, plaintiff’s litigation including personal injury, and whatever comes in through the door on any given day.
He is the longest-serving President of the Russell County Bar Association, having held the presidency since 2013. He is also the current President of the Washington County Defense Bar, and serves on the board of the Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society. He was previously a board member of that group’s predecessor organization, Client-Centered Legal Services. Also, he is involved in the leadership of the Virginia Mountain Valley Lawyers’ Alliance.
He has been elected to serve on Bar Council (the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar) beginning in July 2021. His other service to the State Bar includes the Special Committee on Bench-Bar Relations and the Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee. He has also served as the President of the Watauga Elementary School P.T.O. Other board and committee memberships include the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Committee Advisory Board, the Regional Bench-Bar Conference Planning Committee, the Russell County Court Improvement Committee, Washington County Schools Superintendent's Parental Advisory Committee, and he is President of the Virginia Alpha Delta Phi Alumni Chapter. Until recently, Bruce coached as many as three teams at a time for the local youth soccer organization, Highlands Soccer Club, and served as the club’s legal counsel.
He has been happily married to Shannon, a public school special education teacher, since 2007. They live in Abingdon with their two sons, Clark (12) and Eamon (9), plus canine companions Huckleberry and Tiger Lily (long-haired miniature dachshunds), and Luna (a goldendoodle). Bruce is a Kentucky Colonel, a Freemason, and a Shriner.
Rated AV Preeminent [Judicial Edition]* by Martindale-Hubbell (the premiere directory of attorneys), Bruce has been privileged to represent thousands of clients from all walks of life in his twenty plus years in practice. Additionally, he has mentored several young attorneys as they have begun their journeys in the law. He is proud to have received the Martindale-Hubbell Platinum Client Champion Award based upon the experiences of his numerous highly satisfied clients, is ranked among the Top-Rated Lawyers In Virginia, was selected to Law Eagles of America, and has been named a Lawyer of Distinction. He previously received the Client Distinction Award.
*The highest rating possible. This is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers AND the judiciary.
