Peggy Nicholson

Peggy Nicholson is a Clinical Professor of Law and Supervising Attorney at Duke University School of Law's Children’s Law Clinic. She joined Duke Law in 2020, mentoring law students in representing children and families in special education, school discipline, and public benefits cases.

Education:

• B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• J.D., University of Virginia School of Law

Research Interests: Nicholson focuses on Education Law, Juvenile Justice, and Racial Equity in Legal Systems. Her work addresses systemic issues like the school-to-prison pipeline, advocating for policy reforms in school discipline practices, special education access, and racial equity in education and juvenile courts.

Publications: Recent articles (2024–2021) explore juvenile court jurisdiction thresholds, virtual school discipline, charter school policies, and racial equity frameworks. Earlier works (2018–2010) emphasize criminal justice reform, implicit bias in legal systems, and student advocacy.

Roles: Prior to Duke, she directed the Youth Justice Project at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and practiced public interest law at Legal Aid of North Carolina, representing hundreds of low-income families in education cases.