This image of Rose Godinez shows a smiling woman with tan skin tone and slightly longer than shoulder-length black wavy hair. Rose is wearing a light blue top with a black suit jacket, round light brown glasses, and a necklace.

Title/Position

Legal Director

Department

Legal

E-mail address

Rose oversees our statewide legal program, which focuses on bringing about systemic change through litigation, administrative advocacy and other legal strategies. Our legal docket regularly includes a range of impactful civil rights cases, featuring everything from police practices to LGBTQ+ rights.

Rose was raised in Lexington and is the proud daughter of immigrants and former meatpacking plant workers. She has been a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also regularly serves as a Spanish-speaking spokesperson for both the ACLU of Nebraska and the ACLU’s national office.

Rose’s work through policy, advocacy, and litigation has shaped Nebraska’s laws and helped protect Nebraskans’ rights.

Her research and policy advocacy on racial bias in police traffic stops helped pave the way for a 2020 law requiring Nebraska law enforcement officers participate in annual anti-bias training. Her research on school police programs in Nebraska public schools helped defeat a bill that would have opened the door for increased use of physical restraint against students and pass critical safeguards for students’ rights and parents’ or guardians’ rights.

Rose’s current litigation docket includes cases on indigenous peoples’ rights, police accountability, and First and Fourth Amendment rights.

Rose graduated from Creighton University and earned her law degree from St. Louis University School of Law. Her diverse work experience includes time as an entrepreneur, judicial extern in the 22nd Judicial Circuit of the City of St. Louis’ family law division, an intern at several national corporations, and an attorney litigating immigration and family law with Immigrant Legal Center.


Fun fact: ‘Tis the season, even when it’s not. Rose keeps up Christmas decorations year-round.