Cadene Russell Brooks

Cadene Russell Brooks serves as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia.  She is responsible for investigating and prosecuting violent felonies, including shootings, armed carjackings, assaults with intent to kill, kidnappings, and other offenses.  Prior to this role, Cadene was Counsel at WilmerHale, an international law firm.  Her practice focused on white collar defense litigation, internal investigations, and government investigations often involving the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Inspector General offices.

  In addition, Cadene represented clients in congressional investigations and counseled companies in developing regulatory compliance programs.  She has co-authored a report published in Bloomberg Law that has served as a guide for corporations nationwide in advancing diversity and reducing systemic bias in the workplace.  Cadene also previously worked as legal counsel for Google, representing the technology company in internal investigations.  Cadene joined her law firm after serving as a law clerk to Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  She also previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Her leadership and expertise have earned her recognition on the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” list and as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinder.  Cadene was also previously honored as a Young Lawyer of the Year by the Bar Association of the District of Columbia.

Cadene is committed to the service of others in the legal community and beyond.  She was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington, DC.  She also holds committee chair roles within the Washington Bar Association and the Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association (“GWAC”).

Cadene is a cum laude graduate of Howard University School of Law, where she was an NAACP Legal Defense Fund Earl Warren Scholar and Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal.  She earned her B.A. from Duke University and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.