User Profile

Partner, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

Gabriel Sandoval is a Partner in the statewide education law practice group of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, a California-based law firm representing over 450 educational institutions including universities, community colleges, school districts, and charter schools. Prior to joining the firm, Gabriel served in President Barack Obama's Administration as Senior Advisor and Director of Policy for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. In this capacity, Gabriel advanced Executive Order 13555, which is focused on expanding and improving the educational opportunities and outcomes for Latinos from cradle to career. While in the Obama Administration, Sandoval was also Senior Counsel in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education-the largest office of the federal government focused exclusively on ensuring that students are not discriminated against based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Sandoval, as a key member of OCR's management team, worked with the Assistant Secretary and other senior staff in issuing national policy guidance and managing complex, statewide civil rights investigations and compliance reviews, which resulted in resolution agreements positively affecting students across the nation. Gabriel has held additional significant positions during his career, including Deputy Counsel to former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and law clerk to the Honorable Carlos R. Moreno, then U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. A native of Los Angeles, Gabriel has been appointed to several state and local boards, including Partnerships to Uplift Communities and The Campaign for College Opportunity. A Marshall Memorial Fellow, he received his B.A. from Stanford University and J.D. from Columbia Law School. Gabriel is a Fellow of the 11th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.