Advocates for Educational Equity
Education Rights Counsel removes legal barriers so all children stay in school and thrive.
We work for: Families Communities Attorneys
ERC for FAMILIES
We Secure the Rights of Children and Families
ERC believes in all children, and champions every child’s right to stay in school, make appropriate progress and meet challenging objectives.
ERC for COMMUNITIES
Together We're Creating Our Collective Vision for Equitable Education
ERC is privileged to work with numerous non-profits, schools, the juvenile courts, and educators, providing general consults, tailored training and collaboration on projects.
ERC for ATTORNEYS
We Help You Build Your Practice and Strength Your Skills
ERC offers free and tailored CLE, serves as a sounding board, and pays low-bono rates to trained counsel who assist us in meeting client needs.
News
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ABA publishes article on ERC's innovative model for advocating for juvenile education rights
Children in the juvenile court system often struggle educationally ... This article describes a groundbreaking "limited-representation education counsel" model pioneered by ERC.
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Bill allowing lawsuits after child sex assaults at school could be narrowed
The ongoing legislative fight to allow lawsuits against Nebraska schools for alleged negligence in cases of child sexual assault faces a tough road in 2025 ...
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High-stakes legal battle threatens Section 504
Nebraska’s Attorney General joined a Texas lawsuit (Texas v. Becerra), which, at its core, is an attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Read MoreOur Programs
Upcoming Events
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UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute 2025 Commencement
Lauren Micek Vargas to deliver the commencement address.
April 27, 2025
Learn more about UNMC MMI -
Omaha Bar Association: Law Day Lunch
ERC to receive the 2025 OBA Robert M. Spire Public Service Award.
May 1, 2025
Learn more about the OBA Awards -
2025 Nebraska School Mental Health Conference
Kearney, NE
May 28-29, 2025
Learn more about NSMH Conference -
2025 African Community Health and Wellness Fair
Omaha, NE
May 31, 2025
Learn more about the ACHW Fair -
2025 CIP Nebraska Legislative Review Webinar
Panel review of child welfare and juvenile justice bills that passed this session, featuring ERC's Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda.
June 18, 2025
Register via Zoom -
88th Annual Conference - National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Lauren Micek Vargas and Liz McClelland will present on The Intersection of Juvenile Law and Education Law.
July 20-23, 2025
Learn more about the NCJFCJ Conference -
Down Syndrome Education Series
Lauren Micek Vargas will speak on the topic of IEPs.
August 19, 2025
Learn more about DSES -
An Evening in the Cloud Room 2025
Join us for ERC's annual event. Ticket information coming soon!
November 13, 2025
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See Some of our Work
Special Education
Jasmine's Story
Jasmine struggled to stay focused and was angry because she was behind in school. ERC helped create an effective IEP so Jasmine could succeed, be proud of her work, and learn tools to become her best self-advocate.
Training & Contracting Services
Little Leaf Learning Center
Little Leaf offers an education program for children with Down Syndrome, serving children starting at 18 months old. They contracted with ERC to provide training and individual assistance for their families to help understand the entire verification and IEP process.
Student Discipline
Adela & Marc
Adela is a lawyer and Guardian ad Litem for Marc who was disciplined by the school district for inappropriate behavior and referred to Juvenile Court. Adela suspected there were missing education pieces, and needed help with school discipline hearing process. ERC collaborated with Adela to help Marc.
Research & Data
Devon's Story
Devon, a teacher in a Nebraska school district, approached ERC with a unique concern. His observation was that Black children, especially those with disabilities, seemed to be disciplined more often in his school and asked us for our observations about the disparity in discipline locally and across the country. Nebraska had no statewide tracking system for data and the federal system does not track all discipline. With the assistance of a grant, ERC collaborated with schools, students and policymakers to ensure that Nebraska’s data collection includes discipline data across the state.