Elizabeth B. Harned is a 1998 graduate of Cornell University and a 2002 graduate, cum laude, of the University of Michigan Law School. During law school, she served as Administrative Manager of the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. Upon graduation, Ms. Harned won the Irving Stenn, Jr. Award, given by the University of Michigan Law School faculty and administration for excellence in leadership and contribution to the law school community.

After law school, Ms. Harned worked with a national non-profit policy organization based in Washington, D.C., Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, advocating for federal investments in programs for children. She has also worked as a staff attorney with Prisoners' Legal Services of New York. Currently, Ms. Harned serves as a Local Director of the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, and as a tutor with Lawyers for Learning.