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Mindy Rush Chipman, director of the Lincoln Human Rights Commission for the past three years, is the new legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.
Rush Chipman, who started her new job Monday, said the advocacy work of the ACLU is a perfect fit.
“Really, my strengths and passion lie in coming back into the nonprofit legal advocacy and legal service realm,” she said.
City Attorney Yohance Christie is acting as interim director as the city searches for a new director.
Before Rush Chipman came to the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights she had a private legal practice in rural Nebraska, and worked for Legal Aid of Nebraska and for the Immigration Legal Center. The ACLU means she can again focus on advocacy and address issues statewide.
“All those experiences I’ve had are culminating at the ACLU,” she said. “I really loved working for the city of Lincoln but it was city-focused.”
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ACLU of Nebraska interim Executive Director Maria Funk said she and others who were on a search committee for the next legal director were struck by what a great fit Rush Chipman’s skills are for the job.

Mindy Rush Chipman
“Mindy has a sterling reputation in Nebraska’s legal and advocacy communities for a reason,” Funk said. “People know her as an effective attorney who is passionate about equity and access to justice.”
Rush Chipman is leaving at a time when the commission’s been in the spotlight since the City Council passed a controversial ordinance that updates Title 11 of the city code.
Among other changes to the ordinance that deals with equity issues and spells out the responsibilities of the commission, it expands the definition of sex to include sexual orientation and gender expression. A successful referendum petition means the City Council must now decide whether to rescind the ordinance or let voters decide.
Rush Chipman said those issues didn’t play into her decision to leave, although being able to be a vocal advocate at the ACLU for anti-discrimination efforts will be a “welcome relief.” Although the commission investigates complaints of discrimination it must remain neutral, she said.
“Now, being in the nonprofit realm, I feel like it will allow me to be a better advocate for the community,” she said.
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The seeds of Rush Chipman’s legal career were planted when she landed a job as a correctional officer at the Nebraska Department of Corrections’ diagnostic and evaluation unit when she was 19. Later, she worked in the prison library.
She said the work really opened her eyes to the issues people face once they are sentenced.
“Once I started working at the law library I had more questions than I had answers,” she said. “I transitioned into corrections thinking it would provide me more financial security, but what it did was change the trajectory of my plans.”
While she worked for the Department of Corrections she earned a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Doane College. She went on to get her law degree from the Nebraska College of Law in 2007 and a master’s in library science and information from the University of Missouri in 2009.
Rush Chipman, who graduated from Lincoln High School at the age of 16, did legal research for attorneys while she earned her undergraduate degree and then she and her family — a husband and four kids — moved to a small town near Nebraska City where she opened a private practice.
She worked on all sorts of cases, from family and juvenile law to criminal defense and estate and probate work.
“I found that my most rewarding work as a solo practitioner usually ended up being for clients who couldn’t afford legal representation,” she said.
That led her to Legal Aid of Nebraska and the Immigration Legal Center. At the Immigration Legal Center, she worked with clients experiencing discrimination in several aspects of their lives, which made the transition to the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights seem natural.
Much of her work at the commission involved trying to intervene early to help prevent discrimination from happening and raising awareness about what people can do if they do experience it, she said.
Once the pandemic hit, many law proceedings were put on hold — but not evictions. Rush Chipman and Ryan Sullivan, an NU law professor, began showing up at the courthouse to offer free legal advice to tenants facing eviction. With the help of federal aid money it grew into the Tenant Assistance Program.
The ACLU of Nebraska’s legal work covers a wide range of constitutional issues, including the criminal legal system, free expression, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ equality, open government, racial justice, reproductive freedom, students’ rights and voting rights.
That’s where Rush Chipman’s passion lies.
“When Nebraskans think about who is out there protecting their rights and freedoms, they think about the ACLU,” she said. “I am looking forward to doing everything I can to raise awareness of legal issues affecting our community and effectuate change.”
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A driver in a pickup truck makes their way along a northern portion of 27th street as a break in the clouds after Tuesday’s storm allows for a final burst of color on March 22, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
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Elton John points to the crowd after he finishes his opener, “Bennie And The Jets,” on Sunday, March 27, 2022, during the Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the Pinnacle Bank Arena. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Nebraska head baseball coach Will Bolt talks with his team between innings during the baseball game on Sunday, March 27, 2022, between Michigan and Nebraska at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Cass Warren, 12, throws a disc golf next to his father Dan Warren on a windy afternoon at Pioneers Park, Friday, March 25, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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Theresa Thibodeau, Breland Ridenour, Charles Herbster, and Brett Lindstrom (from left) participate in a discourse during a gubernatorial debate hosted at the Nebraska Public Media studios on March 24, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
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Lincoln Pius X’s Ellie Wolseger rests on the mat after an attempt in the girls pole vault on Thursday, March 24, 2022, during the Northeast Relays track meet at Lincoln High. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Kindergartener Lyum Brady eats lunch on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, at Hartley Elementary School. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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A Lincoln city crew cleans up a fallen tree near 15th and Sumner streets, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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Cars travel at the intersection of O and 16th streets on a rainy night, Monday, March 21, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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As the sun goes down, fans watch during the baseball game Friday, March 18, 2022, between Nebraska and Texas A&M-Corpus Christian at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Nebraska’s Isabelle Bourne and Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim dive after a loose ball in the first quarter during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum! Center on March 18, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
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Nebraska’s Griffin Everitt is congragulated by teammates Lei Brice Matthews and Luke Jessen after hitting a 3-run RBI against New Mexico State in the third inning at Haymarket Park on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
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Bryan Health staff pray during a ceremony to mark the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at Bryan East Campus. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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Nebraska fans cheer for free T-shirts in the second inning of a game against Omaha on Monday, March 14, 2022, at Haymarket Park. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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Malaya Burks (left), 15, plays basketball with his brother DeShawn Burks, Monday, March 14, 2022, at Normal Boulevard & South Basketball Courts. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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The Nebraska women’s basketball team reacts during their bracket announcement Sunday at the Pinnacle Bank Arena. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Elkhorn North celebrates their championship victory over Omaha Skutt after the Class B girls championship Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Humphrey/LHF’s Ethan Keller celebrates after his team scores three against Grand Island CC in the fourth quarter during the Class C-2 boys championship at Pinnacle Bank Arena on March 11, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
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Lt. Col. Christopher Perrone (R), of Papillion, hugs his daughter, Faith, 21, during a welcome home event for soldiers of the Nebraska National Guard’s 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade on Friday, March 11, 2022, at the Nebraska Army National Guard base. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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Lincoln Lutheran fans react in the closing minutes of the regulation of the Class C-1 girls championship game against North Bend Central, Friday, March 11, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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Falls City SH’s head coach Doug Goltz talks to his team between periods during a Class D-2 boys semifinals game Thursday at Devaney Sports Center. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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A pedestrian and a cyclist cross a snowy Goodhue Boulevard on Thursday, March 10, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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People watches the debate to allow concealed handgun without a permit from the balcony, Thursday, March 10, 2022, at Nebraska State Capitol. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
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Auburn’s Marcus Buitrago (23) tries to control the ball as Fort Calhoun’s Carsen Schwarz (33) dives during a Class C-1 boys semifinal game Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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Nebraskans for Peace hosts a rally in support of Ukraine on Sunday, March 6, 2022. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Nebraska’s Liam Doherty-Herwitz competes on the still rings during the gymnastics meet between Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Devaney Sports Center. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
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Matthew Herron (L) and girlfriend Taylyn Davey enjoy an early birthday picnic for Davey on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, at Holmes Lake. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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Charuth Van Beuzekom, who owns Shadow Brook Farm and Dutch Girl Creamery with husband Kevin Loth, enjoys the company of a day-old kid in the barn on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
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North Platte SP’s Jayla Fleck (left), Tonja Heirigs, and Ashton Guo (right) celebrate a three-pointer during a Class D boys state basketball game on Wednesday at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. SAVANNAH HAMM, Journal Star
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Penn State’s Max Dean upends Nebraska’s Eric Schultz during the 197 championship match of the Big Ten wresting championship matches at Pinnacle Bank Arena on March 6, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Spinach grows in a covered tunnel at Shadow Brook farm on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSreist
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