Cari Carson joined DRNC in December 2023 as supervising attorney on the Education Team. After graduating from Yale University, she worked as a special education teacher in rural Louisiana. Carson subsequently earned her law degree from the University of Michigan, where she also earned her Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Children & Youth. She moved to North Carolina to advocate for court-involved young people with disabilities in the public school system, beginning her legal career as a Skadden Fellow and staff attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina.
Carson is passionate about significantly improving educational outcomes for young people with disabilities, and – particularly – for those young people with disabilities who have multiple marginalized identities. Carson previously chaired DRNC’s mental health advisory council. She is pursuing her PhD in Education, with a focus on systemic special education improvement. In her spare time, Carson enjoys being outdoors, creative arts and writing, and spending time with friends and family.