Linnea Nelson

Linnea Nelson joined the Youth Law Center in 2025 as Senior Directing Attorney of the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) advocacy strategy. Her work focuses on developing positive culture change within the child welfare system to ensure that every child in foster care receives excellent parenting. Under her leadership, the QPI team identifies systemic problems, potential solutions, and advocacy efforts to assess, strengthen and support the development of new strategies that center youth and their families / caregivers. Prior to joining the Youth Law Center, Linnea worked at the ACLU of Northern California as a Senior Staff Attorney and Statewide Education Equity Team Co-Lead, where she fought for students’ constitutional and civil rights to equitable educational opportunity regardless of race or ethnicity. Prior to her legal career, Linnea was an activist in the tradeswomen movement and proud member of the New York City District Council of Carpenters’ Women’s Committee, and a union organizer in mid-1990s New York City.