Elie Zwiebel, Esq.
Prior to attending law school, Elie Zwiebel taught a variety of subjects and a diversity of students in the Detroit Area, Chicago, Portland, Shenzhen, and Nanjing. Through these experiences, Elie developed a passion for student and family advocacy. During law school, Elie engaged in experiential learning opportunities as often as possible: with movement and power-building nonprofit organizations, where he learned the importance of holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to legal advocacy; with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, where he gained experience and familiarity with special education law; and with the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, where he contributed to investigating police departments, prisons, and mental health facilities for patterns and practices of discrimination. While in the University of Denver Civil Rights Clinic, Elie successfully petitioned President Obama to grant clemency to two individuals serving life sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. After spending one year as a Judicial Law Clerk for Judge Norma A. Sierra in the 20th Judicial District, Elie is thrilled to now zealously represent students and their families in Colorado schools and courts. Elie has represented students, parents, and guardians in educational and youth justice matters through his solo practice since September 2017 and now works as Transformative Justice Project of Colorado’s Executive Director.
Bar Admission
Colorado, 2016 - Present
United States District Court of Colorado, 2017 - Present
United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2019 - Present
Education
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Juris Doctor: May 2016
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Bachelor of Arts: 2005
Major: English
Minor: Global Media Studies
Awards
Standing Up for Justice (Office of the Child Representative, 2023)
Colorado Bar Fellow (Colorado Bar Foundation, 2023-Present)
Involvement
Transformative Justice Project of Colorado
Executive Director, 2023-Present
Education First Program Director, 2018-Present
Colorado Department of Education Dispute Resolution Advisory Board Member, 2023-Present
SB23-29 Disproportionate School Discipline Task Force Co-Chair 2023-Present
HB22-1131 Preadolescent Task Force Member, 2023
Homeless Advocacy Policy Project, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Professor, 2021, 2023
Barton Institute Teaching and Research Fellow, 2018
Learn Your Rights in Colorado (LYRIC)
Board Treasurer, 2019-Present
Volunteer Teacher, 2017-Present
Colorado Criminal Defense Institute
Board Member, 2020-Present
Colorado Bar Association
Civil Right Section Vice Chair and Legislative Liaison, 2021-2023
Juvenile Law Section Council Member at Large, Vice Chair, Chair, and Board of Governors Liaison, 2021-Present
Board Member, 2020-2023
Vice President of the Board of Directors, 2017-2019
Contract Mississippi Legislative Analyst, 2018
CLE Presentations
“Administrative Unit Responsibilities for FAPE in County Jails: Special Education Director Training” (Colo. Dep’t of Ed., 2023)
“Administrative Unit Responsibilities for FAPE in County Jails: County Jail Officials Training” (Colo. Dep’t of Ed., 2023)
“School Expulsion Pro Bono Project – Three Part Training” (Colo. Lawyers Cmte., Jan. and Sept. 2023)
“School Discipline” Pueblo Bar Association (Nov. 2021)
“Educational Rights: Collateral Considerations for Your Client’s Defense,” 9th Annual Excellence in Juvenile Defense Conference (Colorado Juvenile Defender Center, Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Office of the Child’s Representative)
“Break the Pipeline,” 2020 Coalition of Juvenile Justice National Conference
“Educational Advocacy,” 2020 Office of the Child’s Representative Annual Conference
“Breaking the Pipeline: Integrating Educational Advocacy into Defense Strategies” 8th Annual Excellence in Juvenile Defense Conference (Colorado Juvenile Defender Center, Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Office of the Child’s Representative)
“Education Law and Best Interests” 2019 Office of the Child’s Representative Annual Conference
“Education Issues and School Engagement,” 7th Annual Excellence in Juvenile Defense Conference (Colorado Juvenile Defender Center, Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Office of the Child’s Representative)
“Laws Impacting Students,” No Client Left Behind (Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel)
"Educational Advocacy," 6th Annual Excellence in Juvenile Defense Conference (Colorado Juvenile Defender Center, Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Office of the Child's Representative)
Publications and In the Media
“Starting Next Year, Youth Will Get Representation in Denver Courts” (Rebecca Tauber, Denverite, Dec. 18, 2023)
“East High Shooting Spotlights Tenuous Balance Between School Safety, ‘Moral Obligation’ to Educate Kids” The Denver Post (Jessica Seaman & Elizabeth Hernandez)
“New Bill Helps Families Sued by Schools to Pay for Legal Services” NewsBreak Denver (Suzie Glassman)
“Defending the Whole Child: Education Advocacy as an Integral Part of Holistic Juvenile Defense” Seattle Journal for Social Justice, (2022)
“Alternative High Schools Work to Keep Students Out of Justice System” CBS Denver (Karen Morfitt)
“Gettin’ Legal With It: Episode 22” Colorado Bar Association (May 2021)
“Shifting Gears: Moving Colorado Away from Criminalizing Vehicle Residency and Towards Safe Parking” (May 2021)
“For Incarcerated Youth, the Pandemic Isn’t Over Yet” The Colorado Trust (Daliah Singer)
“Colorado School Discipline Law: Gaps and Goals,” Denver Law Review (2020)
“Thousands of Families in Special-Education Limbo,” Washington Post (Caroline Preston)
“A Shot in the Dark,” Law Week (Jessica Folker)
“Using Poetry to Build Bridges,” San Quentin News (Marcus Henderson)
“Too High a Price 2: Move on to Where?” (May 2018)
“Yes in My Backyard: Building ADUs to Address Homelessness” (May 2018)
“Too High a Price: What Criminalizing Homelessness Costs Colorado” (May 2016)