Seasoned Education Attorney Joins AALRR’s Pleasanton Office
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (AALRR) is pleased to welcome Elizabeth A. Estes as Of Counsel to its Pleasanton office, where she will work in the firm’s Special Education Law Practice Group.
Estes has spent the past twenty years representing school districts and children in the areas of special education and student matters. She brings extensive experience on legal matters including student discipline, inter-district transfers, open enrollment, First Amendment protections, IEP processes, discrimination, cyber-bullying, technology and media literacy, student assessment and achievement, program development, and much more. She has comprehensive litigation experience regarding special education programming and the rights of parents and children.
“Elizabeth’s experience serving the special education community is an asset to school districts, SELPA and county offices of education throughout the state,” says Karen E. Gilyard, chair of the firm’s Special Education Practice. “We are excited to have her as a member of our team, where she will complement our northern California practice.”
Prior to joining AALRR, Estes served as the statewide chair of the Students and Special Education practice group at the law firm of Dannis Woliver Kelley (DWK). Prior to DWK, she was counsel for dependent children in Los Angeles County. Estes received her J.D. from Loyola Law School and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.
Estes has long been committed to championing the needs of children with mental health and behavioral challenges. She has also launched Breaking Barriers, a statewide interagency initiative aimed at collaboratively breaking current systemic barriers to social, emotional and behavioral health for California's children. Her advisory committee consists of over twenty experts across systems who have joined forces in this effort.