Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has joined Fishwick and Associates PLC as an associate attorney, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Roanoke law firm.
The career move came about a week after Rasoul became a licensed lawyer.
“Sam has spent his career standing up for people and making sure their voices are heard,” John Fishwick said in the news release. “He cares deeply about this community, and he brings a perspective that will serve our clients well. I’m excited to have him on our team.”
Rasoul will work alongside Fishwick, who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia from 2015 to 2017 after he was nominated for the role by then-President Barack Obama. Fishwick has spent much of his legal career representing clients in complex civil and criminal cases.
Rasoul will focus on developing a practice in civil rights and criminal defense, while also working on the firm’s broader civil litigation cases, according to the news release.
“I went to law school because I wanted another way to help people, particularly those who may feel powerless when facing the legal system,” Rasoul said in the release.
“When someone’s freedom, livelihood or constitutional rights are on the line, they deserve someone who will listen, work hard and stand up for them. John has done that throughout his career, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn from him and work alongside him. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves, learning from a terrific legal team and continuing to serve the people of Virginia.”
Rasoul, who has represented Roanoke in the General Assembly’s House of Delegates since 2014, quietly began attending law school in 2022. He graduated in May from a part-time, year-round hybrid program administered by the University of Dayton in Ohio.
He took the bar exam in July, and his name appeared on the list of newly licensed lawyers from the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners in early October.
