Erin M. Burris

Oregon

Miller Nash LLP
1140 SW Washington St
Suite 700
Portland, OR 97205

Tel: 503.205.2466

Email: Erin.Burris@MillerNash.com
Web: www.millernash.com

Professional Biography

Erin Burris is an attorney on Miller Nash’s education team, representing higher education institutions, K-12 institutions, public school districts, and private schools.

She defends education clients in litigation and advises on issues including student rights and discipline, Title IX of the Education Amendments, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and an array of statutes affecting faculty and students. Erin’s employment practice includes advice and litigation related to wage-and-hour, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other tort claims.

Before joining Miller Nash, Erin worked as a staff attorney at the Learning Rights Law Center where she practiced education law, with a focus on special education matters and disability discrimination cases under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also served as a judicial clerk to Justice Susan Owens of the Washington State Supreme Court, where she gained broad knowledge of Washington law through her work on a variety of civil and criminal cases.

Upon graduating from law school, Erin became a member of the Order of the Coif, an honor society that recognizes the top ten percent of graduating law students from their class. During law school, Erin practiced as a limited license attorney, representing the State of Oregon at the Oregon Department of Justice in its Trial Division and worked on a variety of matters at a general civil litigation law firm. She also gained valuable experience as an extern to the Honorable Judge Ann Aiken of the U.S. District Court of Oregon.

  • Represented private university against sensitive claims of alleged mistreatment and defamation brought by a student athlete, requiring an expedited response by our client. Obtained full dismissal of the claims in district court.
  • Prevailed on motion to dismiss graduate student’s federal lawsuit against public university, which lawsuit alleged race discrimination and retaliation in employment.
  • Prevailed on motion to dismiss former graduate student’s federal lawsuit against private university, which alleged that the university was contractually obligated to award student a doctorate degree.
  • Favorably resolved university employee’s lawsuit asserting claims under Title IX and negligence based on coworker’s allegedly harassing conduct.
  • Represented school district in Fair Dismissal Appeals Board hearing based on teacher’s appeal of dismissal based on neglect of duty, asserting that insufficient grounds for dismissal existed under the Accountability for Schools for the 21st Century Law.
  • Favorably resolved former student’s state-court lawsuit asserting claims of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress against the school district and individually named school district employees based on an altercation between two students.
  • Represented school district in lawsuit asserted by former student alleging claims under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs) and negligence based on former employee’s allegedly harassing conduct.
  • Favorably resolved teacher’s grievance against school district asserting contract violations of collective bargaining agreement with teacher’s union.

Our comprehensive education law team has a long history of providing creative solutions for public and private institutions of higher education, public school districts, and private independent schools, in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We are proud of our ability to anticipate and respond to the evolving legal service needs of our education clients. Our attorneys are passionate about education and stay current on legal issues that are important to our clients, with the goal of providing legal services in a strategic and cost‐effective manner.

The Miller Nash education law team provides education institutions with extensive experience in the full spectrum of education law matters, including:

  • Employment law
  • Traditional labor law
  • Athletics and NIL
  • Student affairs
  • Special education
  • Shared governance
  • Academic freedom and First Amendment issues
  • Constitutional obligations
  • Title IX, the ADA, Section 504, and other anti-discrimination laws
  • Investigations
  • Campus safety
  • Public governance and board issues
  • Public records and public meetings requirements
  • Public contracting and procurement
  • Major personal injury and tort claims
  • Representation in state and federal courts and in front of administrative agencies

Miller Nash LLP is a full-service U.S. law firm providing strategic legal counsel to businesses, public entities, nonprofit organizations, and individuals throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With roots dating back more than a century, the firm is known for its client-focused approach and strong regional presence, advising clients on complex legal, regulatory, and commercial matters. Miller Nash combines deep local market knowledge with multidisciplinary legal capabilities, enabling clients to navigate evolving business and legal challenges effectively.

The firm maintains offices in key West Coast markets, including Portland and Bend, Oregon, as well as Seattle and Vancouver, Washington, positioning it to serve clients across the Pacific Northwest region. Through this platform, Miller Nash represents a diverse client base ranging from middle-market and closely held businesses to large corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and tribal organizations, offering coordinated counsel across multiple jurisdictions.

Miller Nash provides a broad range of legal services encompassing business and corporate transactions, commercial litigation, labor and employment, real estate and land use, environmental and natural resources law, intellectual property, tax, and appellate advocacy. The firm is particularly recognized for its strengths in complex litigation, government and public law, and regulated industry representation, assisting clients with dispute resolution, compliance strategies, and long-term business planning across a variety of sectors.

“Erin Burris is a trusted advisor to education institutions navigating sensitive discrimination and retaliation claims. Clients appreciate her balanced, solutions-oriented approach, while peers respect her background in special education litigation and civil rights enforcement.”
The Education Lawyers, 2025