Nia Holston (she/her) is a managing attorney and movement lawyer at the Abolitionist Law Center, a movement law firm and community organizing project. At the Abolitionist Law Center, Nia represents people impacted by the carceral state in federal and state courts. Nia maintains an active and varied caseload that includes prison and police litigation, appellate representation of individuals sentenced to die in prison, and compassionate release matters in Pennsylvania.

Nia has worked as co-counsel on a class action challenging inhumane conditions in Philadelphia’s jails, represents West Philadelphians who challenged the Philadelphia police department’s excessive and militaristic use of tear gas and other force during the George Floyd protests in May 2020, and is a part of various community movements to end mass incarceration in Philadelphia and beyond.

Prior to joining the Abolitionist Law Center, Nia worked as an assistant public defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Nia has taught and/or supervised clinical students at Villanova Charles Widger School of Law, Temple Beasley School of Law, New York University School of Law, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. Nia has provided on-air and print commentary to a variety of outlets, including PhillyCam, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and 6abc and Fox29 News. She has also lectured and presented on various topics to groups such as the Practicing Law Institute and the National Police Accountability Project.

Nia is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden-Kern public interest scholar, Temple Beasley School of Law, where she received her LL.M in Trial Advocacy, and Yale University, where she received her B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies.