Before law school, I was an educator. I worked hard to ensure my classroom was a safe space wherein all students felt welcome and felt as though they could bring their authentic, full selves. But, when the bell rang, my students encountered school resource officers in the hallways, police stopping and frisking them, a lack of safe passage home, and the traumas and challenges of day-to-day survival in a carceral state fueled by white supremacy and the patriarchy. I wanted to do and be more for my students, and I felt that law school would open that door.

I never lost sight of my students. Each one I taught and each young person in our country deserves the opportunities to have their dreams come to fruition; but, too often, the oppression cooked into the recipe of our country and our education system excludes and others students because of their race, their disabilities, their gender identity, their sexuality, their native language, and other aspects of their human experience. Instead of receiving the careful regard they deserve, students are criminalized or excluded from classrooms because they are Black or Brown, because they demonstrate manifestations of disabilities or internalized feelings rooted in unaddressed diagnoses, because who they are does not comport with how adults think they should be. This is unacceptable and abhorrent.

In law school, I was fortunate to learn from and shadow practitioners, organizers, and disrupters who helped me articulate and connect what I was seeing in the school to prison pipeline. As my vision of advocacy evolved and took shape, I began identifying as a movement lawyer who, like water, could shift to support individuals and communities as each respective person or collective needed. At one point in law school, I had the opportunity to intern with CJDC and Movimiento Poder (then Padres y Jovenes Unidos) to help build "know your rights" materials for students and to lay the foundation for a hotline of pro bono attorneys to provide expulsion defense.

In my work with CJDC as Education First Program Director since 2018, I have continued that work. I do whatever it takes to keep kids in school and out of prison. I provide direct representation; and I work with partners to push for policy and systems change. In five years, Education First has received over 1,000 contacts with requests for disciplinary defense, special education advocacy, or legal representation in discrimination complaints; I update the previously mentioned "know your rights" materials, and I have helped train a panel of over 30 attorneys to provide pro bono expulsion defense; and I have never felt a greater pride in our work than when we stood hand-in-hand with folks who have lived experience as they pushed to cancel the contract between Denver Public Schools and the Denver Police Department or when we pushed for legislation providing greater due process protections for students facing expulsion in Colorado.

But my work with Education First was just the start.

It is with great honor and privilege that I take on the role of Executive Director. I do so with humility and gratitude for those who came before and those who have placed faith in me as the next leader of this organization.

We remain true to our original visions. Our bedrock program of Believe in Youth remains committed to helping folks expunge juvenile sex offenses and deregister from the juvenile sex offender registry; Education First will continue to do whatever it takes to fight the school to prison pipeline. 

CJDC is also shifting and growing. We are excited to welcome Barbara Garza and Erin Pier as co-founders and co-directors of the Transformative Justice Project, a project committed to providing wrap-around support for young people facing legal system involvement. (I am beyond excited to combine the forces of Education First and the Transformative Justice Project—I feel as though this shift, alone, has the potential to drastically increase protections and support for students most often targeted and traumatized by mass-incarceration.) 

CJDC is looking to ensure young people facing municipal charges around the state get representation (at the moment, most do not); CJDC is looking to revitalize legal trainings and to ensure that these become increasingly community-facing and accessible; CJDC is looking to address gaps in youth defense and advocacy around the state.

CJDC is looking to take the next step. And I am so thrilled to be the Executive Director as we do.

Onward!

Elie

(Elie invites folks to reach out with questions, comments, concerns, collaborative opportunities, and more.)