Elizabeth Estes is a career California children's attorney who has dedicated more than 30 years to supporting the state's children, youth, families and those who serve and support them. She is an expert in child and family rights and child-serving agency responsibilities and programming in California, including special education, student services, information sharing, discrimination, harassment, juvenile dependency, and juvenile justice.

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Elizabeth launched Breaking Barriers California in 2014. She served as the statewide chair of the Students and Special Education practice group at the law firm of Dannis Woliver Kelley (DWK) and then continued her practice at Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo (AALRR).  In 2021, she was appointed by the Governor to the California Advisory Commission on Special Education and chaired the mental health committee for the Commission. Additionally she sits on the Advisory Council for the California Partners Project.

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Elizabeth is a frequent presenter and trainer across California’s child-serving systems and publisher of numerous manuals for the field on how to better unite support and care for the children, youth, families, and communities of California. Elizabeth’s latest career venture has brought her to the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, serving as a Clinical Professor of Public Policy where she is assisting with state and local implementation of the California Community Schools and Child and Youth Behavioral Health Initiatives.