Elliott Hood supports school districts as a counselor and litigator. Elliott has successfully represented districts in special-education (IDEA) disputes and expulsion cases, as well as appeals to the Colorado State Board of Education and Colorado Court of Appeals.
Elliott also advises districts on constitutional challenges to school policies and actions, school finance, tort liability, federal funding and revenue-sharing programs, and issues concerning charter and innovation schools. Elliott has also presented on First Amendment challenges to school discipline involving off-campus conduct.
Before joining Caplan & Earnest, Elliott was an associate with a large Denver-based litigation firm where he represented clients at the trial and appellate level in federal and state courts in antitrust, contract, insurance bad faith, property, and wrongful death disputes.
Elliott served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, where he advised a federal judge on civil and criminal appeals. During his clerkship, Elliott drafted several opinions that are now published cases with binding precedent in the Tenth Circuit. He also served as a law clerk on the Denver District Court, where he advised a state trial judge on felony criminal cases.
Elliott graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where he was articles editor for the Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy and was awarded a public service distinction for completing over 100 hours of community service during law school. He remains very involved with the law school and recently co-chaired the reunion committee for his law school class. Elliott holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors distinction from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Prior to law school, Elliott taught fifth grade in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a corps member with Teach For America. During his second year of teaching, he served as fifth-grade co-chair and received an excellence award for outstanding teaching and service to this school. Elliott left the classroom to become director of individual giving for TFA’s Chicago region, where he oversaw and grew a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign. He remains very involved with Teach For America and serves on TFA’s University of Colorado alumni board.
Education:
- Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D.
- Magna Cum Laude
- Public Service Distinction
- Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy, Articles Editor
- University of Colorado Boulder, B.A.
- With Honors Distinction
Admittances & Licenses:
- State Bar of Colorado
- State Bar of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Professional & Community Associations:
- Member, Colorado Disability Funding Committee (appointed by Governor)
- Board Member, Colorado Bar Association CLE Board
- Board Member, Colorado Teach For America Alumni Board
- Colorado Bar Association
- Boulder (Colo.) Bar Association
- Washington State Bar Association
Cost
Rate : $$$