Through the generosity of the Committee’s esteemed first Chair, John Nolan, the Committee has expanded our work to combat education inequities and the criminalization of youth of color. John Nolan and Judge Louis Oberdorfer were the ones to call together a small group of lawyers to form the Committee in 1968. Their shared vision of what the Washington legal community could do to advance the cause of civil rights was truly inspired; it laid a strong foundation for all that followed. John Nolan’s outstanding leadership as founder and first Chair led the Committee’s mission to encompass discrimination across many forms. John Nolan’s bequest and generosity has made the work of the Youth Rights Attorney possible and has significantly expanded our work on behalf of youth of color.

Our Youth Rights Attorney, Azadeh Erfani, started her career defending youth from deportation and was inspired by the resiliency and promise that each youth has to offer, when faced with pressures most adults could not handle. She is passionate about working with marginalized youth and their families and is committed to challenging the multifaceted ways immigrants’ rights are undermined on a daily basis.

Since starting at the Committee this spring, Azadeh has already made an incredible impact on our work to ensure youth rights in education and in interactions with the criminal legal system. She has worked on multiple cases thus far with John Nolan’s mentee, Harry Lee, to protect immigrant parents’ rights to be involved in their children’s’ education. Similar to John Nolan’s vision for the Committee, Azadeh’s work cuts across many issue areas, with her two primary axes of focus being education justice rights and Fourth Amendment rights in police interactions. Her hope is to work closely within every area of the Committee’s expertise to uplift youth voices through advocacy and litigation.