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, 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 matters. 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 launched Elizabeth Abdnour Law to fight for justice on behalf of clients at school and in the workplace. Liz also provides investigative, consulting, and training services and is an experienced trainer, writer, and public speaker.  Liz also serves in an of counsel role with McAllister Olivarius, one of the leading firms handling sex discrimination claims on behalf of plaintiffs both in the US and in Europe.

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 and Title IX best practices, investigation processes, party advising, and appeals procedures. Liz can easily identify flaws in institutional systems and policies and can assist with navigating the ever-changing waters as well as fixing problems.

Education
J.D., New York University School of Law
B.A., Michigan State University (James Madison College and the Honors College)

Bar admissions
Michigan
Ohio​

Court admissions
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The Supreme Court of the United States

Pro hac vice admissions
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana

Pro bono, professional, and community service

​Current

• Board of Advisors, The Firecracker Foundation
• Board of Directors, MI AECRES (Advocating for Every Child's Right to Educational Success)
  • Board Secretary, February 2021 to present
• Member, Michigan Parent Advocate & Attorney Coalition (MiPAAC)

Past

• Board of Directors, The Firecracker Foundation
  • 2019 Dubey-Zerka Award of Volunteer Excellence
  • Board Secretary, January 2019 to December 2019
  • Board President, March 2016 to December 2017
• Member, Michigan 8th Congressional District Title IX Advisory Board to U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin
• Member, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services
• Volunteer Attorney, We The Action
• 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)