Elise Scanlon

Elise Scanlon is the founder of Elise Scanlon Law Group, a Washington D.C. based law and consulting practice focused on advising accrediting organizations and higher education institutions on federal higher education policy, state and federal regulation and quality assurance and improvement. She also advises nonprofit organizations on board governance, strategic planning and risk management practices.

Elise has more than 25 years of experience in higher education accreditation having served as Executive Director of the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) from 1999-2008. In that role, Elise managed an accreditation process for more than 700 institutions. Her position brought her into frequent contact with state and federal officials as partners in the higher education oversight triad.

In her practice, Elise interacts routinely with the U.S. Department of Education, congressional committees, state oversight agencies and regional, national and specialized accrediting organizations. Elise has served as lead negotiator on a Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking panel, as an evaluator in the Education Quality Through Innovation Partnerships (EQUIP) initiative and on policy working groups for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). She has also participated in national conferences on topics including accountability, transparency and student achievement.

Elise earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Dickinson College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She is admitted to practice in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.