Rose Godinez

Rose Godinez (she/her/ella) is a seasoned nonprofit leader and bilingual (English and Spanish) civil rights and business law attorney, licensed in Nebraska and Missouri, with over a decade of experience supporting mission-driven organizations. She began her legal career as an immigration attorney at Justice for Our Neighbors–Nebraska (now known as the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA)), where she represented hundreds of individuals and families in humanitarian and family-based immigration matters. She joined the ACLU of Nebraska in 2017, and rose to become its Legal Director in 2023, overseeing litigation strategy across constitutional issues including immigrant and Indigenous rights, police practices, First Amendment protections, and educational equity. Her policy work has shaped Nebraska law, including securing annual anti‑bias training for law enforcement in 2020 and advancing legislation safeguarding students’ rights to wear natural hair, protective styles, headdresses, and tribal regalia.

Over the years, Rose has led numerous high-impact litigation and advocacy initiatives. She also launched successful campaigns to restore voting rights in Nebraska for individuals with criminal records and to guarantee protections against natural hairstyle discrimination in schools. Her deeply personal advocacy emerged from being the daughter of immigrants and former meatpacking plant workers in Lexington, Nebraska. In October 2021, Rose testified before the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, drawing on her family’s experience and calling for stronger workplace safety protections, enactment of the Safe Line Speeds in COVID‑19 Act, and important immigration reforms.