Melissa Fussell earned her bachelor of arts degree in International Affairs from Rollins College in 2013, summa cum laude, as the Hamilton Holt valedictorian. She earned her law degree from William & Mary Law School, magna cum laude, in 2016. At William & Mary, she served as a notes editor on the William & Mary Law Review and as an associate justice on the Moot Court team. Other law school honors included Order of the Coif and Best Law Review Student Note. Before joining the Federal Defender's Office, Melissa served as a federal law clerk in the Middle District of Florida and the Eastern District of Virginia.