ABOUT TRISTON
"SUCCESS IS NEVER BUILT COMPLETELY ALONE"
Triston Chase O’Savio is an attorney, public servant, and community advocate whose work is rooted in the belief that the law can be a powerful force for justice, opportunity, and human dignity. Raised in the DMV, he was inspired early by the historic election of President Barack Obama and by his academic study of how inclusive laws and civil rights protections can strengthen not only democracy, but the prosperity of entire communities. That foundation continues to shape his approach to public service today: thoughtful, principled, and centered on expanding opportunity for others.
He currently serves as an Assistant Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he represents the Commonwealth in complex appellate litigation and advises on significant constitutional and statutory matters. In addition to his work in government, Triston serves as a Commissioner on the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals, bringing careful judgment and a deep respect for community impact to local decision-making. Before joining the solicitor general’s office, Triston was a commercial litigation attorney, a federal judicial law clerk for Hon. Judge James M. Munley, and an appellate law clerk to Judge Jack Panella in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Beyond his professional roles, Triston sees himself first as a father and as a servant to the broader community. He is the father of Sparrow Chase O’Savio, a role he considers his greatest responsibility and deepest source of purpose. Fatherhood has further shaped his commitment to building a more just, secure, and compassionate future for the next generation. Whether through public service, legal advocacy, writing, or community initiatives like The Muffin Man Project, Triston’s work is guided by a simple conviction: when fairness, inclusion, and empathy are placed at the center of our institutions, everyone is better positioned to thrive.
EDUCATION
Dickinson College
Class of 2013
B.A. Economics
Penn. State University
Class of 2018
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
ACADEMIA
Dickinson Law Penn State University
2020-2021
Adjunct Professor of Law: Legal Writing
Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO)
2020
Adjunct Professor for Council on Legal Education Opportunity (Volunteer)
EXPERIENCE
Appellate Litigation Attorney
Present
Assistant Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Office of the Attorney General
Complex Commercial Litigation Attorney
2019-2026
PUBLICATIONS
Dreams for My Son
Political Memoir
Muffin Man Publications
Are Executive Employees Protected Under Virginia’s Wage Payment Law?
Blog Post - Click Here
3 Reasons Why the Gender Stereotype Theory Inadequately Protects Gay Employees
Op-Ed - Click Here
Our Country Needs Students of Color to Become Lawyers
Op-Ed - Click Here
Voter Protection: Will the Election Integrity Unit Live Up to Its Name?
Blog Post - Click Here
Our Democracy Depends On Everyone Getting Out to Vote, Even If Barriers Are Put In Our Way
Blog Post - Click Here
A CONVO WITH TRISTON
A Quick Question & Answer
Was there any specific event in your life that gave rise to DREAMS FOR MY SON?
Dreams for My Son grew from years of watching how systems like health care, housing, transportation, climate policy, and artificial intelligence shape the lives and futures of our children. As both a parent and a lawyer, I came to see that many of the struggles families face, especially the rising cost of living and unequal access to essential services, stem from deliberate legal and political choices that too often prioritize private interests over the public good. This book is my effort to reimagine a different kind of politics: one grounded in justice, accessibility, and long-term responsibility. By connecting personal experience with legal and policy analysis, I hope to inspire others to think boldly about how we can build a stronger, fairer future for the next generation.
What parts of your personal journey most directly shaped the ideas in this book?
The ideas in this book came from the moments in my life when policy stopped feeling abstract and became personal. My family’s struggle with medical debt after my father’s near-fatal hospital stay showed me how cruel and costly our health care system can be, and as a single dad, I’ve felt that same pressure in housing, transportation, and energy costs that make daily
life harder for working families. Over time, I came to see these burdens not as random hardships but as the direct result of laws and policies shaped by special interests rather than the public good. That realization is what drove me to write this book: to make these structural issues understandable through real-life experience, to show how policy touches every part of family life, and to call for a new generation of leaders willing to rebuild these systems into something more just, affordable, and secure for our children.
What truth did you feel most compelled to say plainly in this book?
The central truth of this book is that America’s cost crisis is not accidental. It is the result of decades of privatizing essential needs like health care, housing, transportation, and energy, while allowing money in politics to give corporations and the wealthy more influence than ordinary families. As a single dad, I have felt how these choices drive up the cost of living and make stability harder to achieve. This book argues that real reform requires more than fixing policy outcomes. It also requires confronting the political system that produces them. Only by reducing the power of money in politics and prioritizing people over profit can we build a more just, affordable, and humane society for the next generation.
How do empathy and courage show up in the way you make decisions?
Empathy and courage shape my decision-making by keeping people, not politics, at the center of every issue. Empathy pushes me to ask who is most affected, who is most vulnerable, and whose voice is missing, while courage demands the willingness to act on those answers even when it is unpopular or politically difficult. I believe policy must reflect the lived realities of those who bear its consequences, especially children and working families, and that means confronting not only issues like health care, housing, transportation, and artificial intelligence, but also the influence of money in politics that so often blocks meaningful reform. At its core, this book argues that a healthy democracy should prioritize human dignity over donor interests and create a future in which families feel the system is finally working for them.