E.M. v. California Department of Education
- Wise
- 5:24-cv-07397
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In E.M. v. California Department of Education, Judge Wise appointed E.M.’s mother, Elisa Schweizer, as guardian ad litem.
E.M. and Elisa Schweizer; Schweizer was appointed to represent E.M.’s interests in the lawsuit.
What happened
In E.M. v. California Department of Education, E.M. is a minor who may bring the lawsuit only through an appointed representative. E.M. asked the court to appoint her mother, Elisa Schweizer.
The court appointed Schweizer as E.M.’s guardian ad litem, meaning she will represent E.M.’s interests in the case. Although Schweizer is also a plaintiff, the court found no conflict between her claims and E.M.’s interests.
Judge Noél Wise issued the order on August 1, 2025.
The detailed version
- E.M. v. California Department of Education · No. 5:24-cv-07397
- Wise
- Aug. 1, 2025
Background
E.M. is a minor. The court explained that, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(c)(2), E.M. may bring the lawsuit only if a guardian ad litem is appointed to represent her interests. E.M. asked the court to appoint her mother, Elisa Schweizer, to that role.
Schweizer is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The court nevertheless found that appointing her would protect E.M.’s interests because the record showed no conflict between Schweizer’s claims and E.M.’s claims.
Ruling
The court appointed Elisa Schweizer as E.M.’s guardian ad litem. The order does not address the merits of the underlying claims or provide further details about them.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.