Amirah Ellison

Professional History

Prior to her legal career, Amirah was a dedicated visual artist, independent curator, and cultural worker. In 2019, she received a fellowship from the Emerging Curators Institute in Minneapolis.

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Amirah also worked at the Walker Art Center where she did community engagement aimed at connecting the institution’s resources with Minnesota’s culturally and linguistically diverse families. While at the Walker, she helped lead the successful unionization campaign which resulted in the formation of the Walker Worker Union, AFSCME Local 4493. This experience deepened her commitment to the empowerment of art workers, creatives, and those that work in the preservation and promotion of culture.  

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While in law school, Amirah served as a Student Director of the University of Minnesota’s Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic (FILC) where she represented noncitizens in federal impact immigration litigation. She was also a Peggy Browning Fellow at the Strategic Organizing Center (formerly known as the Change to Win Federation—a coalition of labor unions) and served as a law clerk at Education Minnesota (Minnesota’s largest public sector union).

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Amirah also serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Prison Writers Workshop.

Outside of her legal practice, she is an avid practitioner of yoga and enjoys coffee, live music, experimental theater, and spending time with her dog, Virgo.