Elizabeth Abdnour, Founder & Principal
Liz Abdnour is an experienced, dedicated, and client-centered attorney and advocate who has committed her career to working towards justice and equality for all people. Liz's legal expertise includes special education, school discipline, Title IX, civil rights, disability, family law, immigration, public benefits, employment, and sexual and domestic violence. For the first eight years of her career, Liz worked as a legal services attorney, representing low-income individuals in a variety of civil legal contexts. Liz spent two years as the supervising attorney of a domestic violence and protection order clinic jointly operated by a legal aid organization and a law school. Liz then transitioned to working as an institutional equity coordinator and senior investigator at Michigan State University, handling investigations and providing training to the campus community on civil rights and Title IX matters.
In 2018, Liz opened her own private practice where she now represents students, staff, and faculty members in institutional civil rights and Title IX investigations, as well as parents and students in K-12 special education and school discipline matters, and related legal and administrative actions. Liz also provides investigative, consulting, and training services to educational institutions, groups, and nonprofits of all sizes, and is an experienced trainer, writer, and public speaker.
The combination of Liz's legal experience and her years as an internal university investigator and administrator at Michigan State during the height of the Larry Nassar investigation give her unparalleled expertise regarding educational institutions' obligations with respect to civil rights and Title IX response. Liz is an expert in institutional equity best practices, investigation processes, appeals procedures, and the many loopholes and legal minutiae of the process, procedures, and legal requirements. Liz can easily identify flaws in institutional systems and policies, and can assist you with navigating the ever-changing waters as well as fixing the problems. In addition, Liz is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and all of her investigations comply fully with the ethical standards and best practices outlined in AWI's Guiding Principles for Conducting Workplace Investigations.
Education
Bar admissions
Court admissions
Pro bono, professional, and community service
Current
Past
In 2018, Liz opened her own private practice where she now represents students, staff, and faculty members in institutional civil rights and Title IX investigations, as well as parents and students in K-12 special education and school discipline matters, and related legal and administrative actions. Liz also provides investigative, consulting, and training services to educational institutions, groups, and nonprofits of all sizes, and is an experienced trainer, writer, and public speaker.
The combination of Liz's legal experience and her years as an internal university investigator and administrator at Michigan State during the height of the Larry Nassar investigation give her unparalleled expertise regarding educational institutions' obligations with respect to civil rights and Title IX response. Liz is an expert in institutional equity best practices, investigation processes, appeals procedures, and the many loopholes and legal minutiae of the process, procedures, and legal requirements. Liz can easily identify flaws in institutional systems and policies, and can assist you with navigating the ever-changing waters as well as fixing the problems. In addition, Liz is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and all of her investigations comply fully with the ethical standards and best practices outlined in AWI's Guiding Principles for Conducting Workplace Investigations.
Education
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 2006
- B.A., Michigan State University (James Madison College and the Honors College), 2001
Bar admissions
- Michigan
- Ohio
Court admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
- The Supreme Court of the United States
Pro bono, professional, and community service
Current
- Board Member, The Firecracker Foundation
- 2019 Dubey-Zerka Award of Volunteer Excellence
- Board Secretary, January 2019 to December 2019
- Board President, March 2016 to December 2017
- Board Member, MI AECRES (Advocating for Every Child's Right to Educational Success)
- Board Secretary, February 2021 to present
- Member, Michigan 8th Congressional District Title IX Advisory Board to U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin
- Member, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services
- Member, Michigan Parent Advocate & Attorney Coalition (MiPAAC)
- Volunteer Attorney, We The Action
Past
- Cooperating Attorney, ACLU of Michigan
- State Bar of Michigan
- Young Lawyers Section Executive Council
- Standing Committee on Domestic Violence
- Access to Justice Initiative
- Pro Bono Attorney, Michigan Women's Justice and Clemency Project
- Mentor, MSU Women's Networking Association
- Member, Michigan Education Association
- Barrister, American Inns of Court
- Thomas M. Cooley American Inn of Court
- Potter Stewart American Inn of Court
- Member, Ingham County Equal Opportunity Committee
- National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW 2320) - Legal Services Workers of South Central Michigan
- Executive Committee
- Bargaining Committee
- Mentor, Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program
- Ambassador Board, 4C for Children
- Red Shoe Crew, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati
- Volunteer, Save the Animals Foundation
- Volunteer Mediator, Manhattan Small Claims Court
- Crisis Intervention Volunteer, MSU Safe Place
- Volunteer, Cuban and Haitian Program at the former International and Refugee Services of Lansing (now St. Vincent Catholic Charities)
