I’m Elisabeth Lambert. I am a lifelong resident of the Milwaukee area and a mom of two school-age daughters. I began my career as a high school English teacher in a public school district near Milwaukee—which is where I discovered my passion for education policy and student rights. I worked with students to create a multicultural club, where students came together to learn about the diversity of the school and local community, and a spoken word poetry club that gave students a platform to share their experiences and lift their voices. I was a stalwart advocate for students in the disciplinary, special education and curricular spheres. 

After four years in the classroom, I headed to Marquette Law School, with the goal of learning how school law and policy works so that I could be a more effective advocate for kids. I thrived in law school and graduated first in my class. I then spent two years clerking for a federal judge in Milwaukee, before taking a job with the ACLU of Wisconsin as an attorney focused on defending students’ civil rights. As an ACLU lawyer, I worked with students, families and community organizations across the state of Wisconsin to challenge discriminatory school practices and restore students’ equal educational opportunities. I was honored for that work with awards from the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee and Community Shares of Wisconsin.