Emily Merolli is a founding partner at Sligo Law Group with nearly two decades of federal and private sector experience in legislative and regulatory law. Prior to founding the firm, Emily served as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of General Counsel in the Division of Legislative Counsel, where she advised senior leadership in both Democratic and Republican administrations on complex legislative issues and promoted the Department’s legislative goals and priorities within the Administration and Congress. Her work involved complex policy negotiations within the Department, interested agencies, and Congressional committees.

She also served as legal counsel to the Department’s Senior Department Official in charge of federal recognition of accrediting agencies, and served as acting oversight counsel, working on oversight matters involving the Government Accountability Office and Offices of Inspector General.

Emily advises clients on complex areas in education law and policy, including accreditation, federal financial aid, higher education accountability, policies and programs for students with disabilities, student privacy, civil rights, school-based mental health services, emergency and disaster relief programs, and school voucher programs.

In addition, Emily spent six years in private practice, advising clients on matters relating to compliance and permitting under complex federal resource statutory and regulatory authorities, and litigating matters under the Administrative Procedure Act.