Cleo Elaine Powell is the first African American female to serve on Virginia’s highest court, and the fifth woman to serve on the court. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Government from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. Justice Powell was recently elected as the first African American woman to serve as the chief justice of the Virginia.Supreme Court. She has served at every level of the Commonwealth’s judicial system. Hailing from Brunswick County, VA, she has led a distinguished career and advocates for diversity in the legal profession.
