Burrell was an attorney. He represented the founders of the
Phi Delta Kappa, filing the paperwork to incorporate the education sorority. He served in the New Jersey State House in 1933 as a Republican and 1935 under the Clean Government line. In 1951, Burrell represented the
Trenton Six in a new trial, ultimately winning freedom for four of the Black men who had been convicted of rape in 1948. This was a high profile case that trigged protest rallies and an appeal to the
United Nations. In 1953, he ran unsuccessfully to be the Republican nominee for the 11th Congressional District. He was also vice-president of the
National Bar Association. == Personal life ==