Meet The Team

Kate Noble is the Executive Director of Evanston CASE. She joined CASE in 2019 as a Parent Partners volunteer and as an Advocate in 2020.  As a parent of two children with disabilities, Kate has experienced firsthand the challenges of the special education system.  She believes that parents can often be the best advocates for their children. To this end, she co-founded the Parent Inclusion Group at Willard to support and educate families about the special education system. She later decided to formalize her talent for advocacy by obtaining the highest level of certification from the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys (COPPA). As a graduate of COPAA’s Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT) programs, Kate is fully prepared to advocate for her clients and the broader special education community.  To help her clients keep up-to-date with information impacting their children, Kate participates in ongoing professional development related to special education law and instruction of children with disabilities.

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Advocacy is Kate’s passion. In addition to zealously representing her clients, Kate educates families on how to become the strongest advocates for their children. Her goal is to empower and educate parents and families as they navigate the complex special education system.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University – Bloomington.  She holds a certificate from COPAA and from the Master IEP Coach Program™.

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Elizabeth S. Duquette joined Evanston CASE in 2019 as a Parent Partners volunteer and in 2020 as an Associate Advocate. She works with CASE because she believes that all children are entitled to a fair shot at maximizing their potential. Elizabeth is committed to helping parents navigate the complicated path to find the right supports for their child. She is graduate of COPAA’s Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT) programs.

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Elizabeth comes from a teaching background. She currently teaches at the University of Chicago Law School.  Previously she has taught at Northwestern University School of Law, DePaul University College of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law in London, and Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität-Frankfurt School of Law.

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She studied at Stanford University (Bachelor of Arts), the University of Southern California Law Center (Juris Doctor), and the London School of Economics and Political Science (Master of Laws).

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Elizabeth is a lawyer, but she no longer practices law; rather, she is an Advocate at CASE. 

Jennifer Dougherty joined Evanston CASE in 2020 as a Parent Partners volunteer and became an Associate Advocate in 2021.  Her background in special education and her experience as a parent of a child with disabilities provides her with extensive experience on both sides of the special education table. 

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Jennifer received her B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and her M.S. in Education from Wheelock College in Boston, where she specialized in Early Childhood Special Education and Early Elementary Education.  She was a special education teacher and inclusion specialist in the Watertown, MA, public schools for seven years before moving to Evanston and teaching in District 65 for five years. 

 After she left her teaching career to become a parent, Jennifer started connecting with parents who were unfamiliar with the special education system and guided them, often over a cup of coffee, about what to expect and what to ask for in their child’s meetings.  During this time of “quiet advocacy,” Jennifer realized that many parents felt lost and confused when faced with information the district gave them about their child(ren).  She realized then the importance of providing parents with the knowledge and understanding they need to advocate for their children as they go through school.

Jennifer volunteered as a Parent Partner with Evanston CASE during the pandemic year and completed the WrightsLaw online advocacy training during that time.  She is a member of COPAA and holds a certificate from COPAA.