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  • Ava Ayers

    Director, Government Law Center; Assistant Professor
    518-445-2351
    aayer@albanylaw.edu
​​

Cour​se​s​​​

  • Administrative Law
  • Government Law
  • Law of Government
​​
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Faculty Profiles

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​
  • Biography

    A.B., Vassar College
    J.D., Georgetown Law

    Ava Ayers graduated first in her class from Georgetown Law in 2005. She then clerked for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, now a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, during her term on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She also clerked for the Honorable Gerard Lynch on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

    After clerking, Ayers worked for nine years in the office of the New York Attorney General, where she was a Senior Assistant Solicitor General. She served both as a supervisor and as lead counsel in various high-profile cases involving immigration law, states’ rights, constitutional rights, environmental law, and other issues.

    Ayers is the author of A Student’s Guide to Law School, published by the University of Chicago Press, as well as articles on legal ethics, immigration law, federalism, and other subjects.

    Ava Ayers Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Bo​oks

Publications

  • Discriminatory Cooperative Federalism, 65 Villanova Law Review 1 (2020)» Link to Publication

  • Justice Sotomayor and the Sense of Respect, 81 Albany Law Review 721 (2018) » Link to Publication

  • Federalism and the Right to Decide Who Decides, 63 Villanova Law Review 567 (2018) » Link to Publication

  • The Half-Virtuous Integrity of Atticus Finch, 86 Mississippi Law Journal 33 (2017)Link to publication

  • What if Legal Ethics Can't Be Reduced to a Maxim?, 26 Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics 1 (2013)papers.cfm

Forthcoming Publications

  • Missing Immigrants in the Rhetoric of Sanctuary, __ Wisconsin Law Review __ (forthcoming)

Selected Achievements

  • ​Professor Ava Ayers presented at the virtual CLE and training "Immigration 101" on April 7, 2020.

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers moderated the Anderson Breakfast Series panel "What's Needed for Rural Renewal" at the New York State Capitol on May 14, 2019.

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers presented at the Albany County Bar Association CLE Research: What do the Courts Want? on May 14, 2019.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers participated on the panel "Rural Access to Justice" at the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting on January 5, 2019.

  • GLC Director Ava Ayers participated on the panel "Retroactivity And Other Challenges to Agency Decisions" at the I-ARC Conference: Mobilize, Organize, Resist: Immigrant Justice Lawyering in New York at John Jay College, October 26-27, 2018. 

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers refereed an article for the Yale Law Journal in summer 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers moderated "Immigration and the Horse Racing Industry" at the 18th Annual Saratoga Institute on Equine, Racing & Gaming Law in Saratoga, N.Y., on August 7, 2018.​

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers participated on the panel "State Constitutions in the Era of a More Conservative Supreme Court" at the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, N.Y., on July 19, 2018. The event was co-presented by the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and the Rockefeller Institute of Government.​

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers participated on the panel "State Power Over Immigration Law" at the Government Law Center's Warren M. Anderson Legislative Breakfast Series event on April 3, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers moderated the panel "Oversight" at the Albany Government Law Review Symposium at Albany Law School on March 8, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers moderated the Albany Law Review Fall Symposium on Sanctuary Cities at Albany Law School on November 9, 2017.

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers moderated the panel “Renewal, Displacement, and Community Transformation” at the Community Renewal and Its Discontents conference at Albany Law School on November 3, 2017.

  • ​​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers presented an “Ethics Update” at the GLC's Summer in Saratoga CLE Series in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on August 25, 2017.

  • ​ ​GLC Director Ava Ayers co-moderated the Stoneman Day discussion with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at Albany Law School on April 3, 2017.​

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers moderated the session “Civil and Criminal Advocacy” at the “Access to Justice is Social Justice” CLE at Albany Law School on March 30, 2017.

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers presented at the "Advocacy and Activism Today” symposium at Albany Law School on February 25, 2017.

In the News

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on the WMHT-TV news show, "Budget Deadline Looms, Police Reform Plans Due, Funding NY's New Criminal Justice System," on March 26, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was quoted in the Law.com news article, "They Certainly Don't See Trans People as People': Trans Lawyers Discuss Their Fight for Acceptance in the Legal Industry," on March 11, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on the WMHT-TV news show, "NY Now-Probe Into Sexual Harassment Claims Against Gov. Andrew Cuomo," on March 1, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was quoted in the Altamont Enterprise article, "GPD reform would have social workers, EMS answer some police calls," on Feb. 23, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the Albany Times-Union article, "Albany council asks for a plan before passing police reforms," on Feb. 10, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on WTEN-TV in the news story, "Sedition? Treason? Coup? What do they mean," on Jan. 7, 2021.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on Spectrum-TV in the news story, "Albany Law's Ava Ayers on Attempts To Overthrow the Election," on Dec. 14, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on WRGB-TV in the news story, "Albany law explainer recommends social workers, crisis intervention on mental health calls," on Nov. 24, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured on WTEN-TV in the news story, "Albany Law School professor: Legal challenges from Trump administration won't change election results," Nov. 11, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was quoted in the Spectrum-TV news article, "Is it Time to Bid Farewell to the Electoral College?" on Oct. 20, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the New York State Bar Association news release, "NYSBA Task Force Releases Election Report Ahead of Nov. 3 Presidential Contest," on Oct. 20, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the Spotlight News news article, "Sheriff Apple wants to know what you think," on Oct. 13, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the New York State Bar Association roundtable discussion, "What Happens if It Isn't Clear Who Won the Presidential Election?" on Oct. 13, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was a guest on Spectrum TV in the news story, "Trump, The Blue Shift, and The Legal Aftermath," on Oct. 1, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the Bethlehem Spotlight news article, "Bethlehem Town Board forms police reform committee," on Sept. 30, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle news article, "Lawyers create task force to help journalists and politicians monitor presidential race," on Sept. 16, 2020.

  • ​Director of the Government Law Center and Assistant Professor Ava Ayers was mentioned in the Altamont Enterprise article, "Guilderland Chief McNally sees police reform as 'super positive'" on August 26, 2020.

  • ​Professor Ava Ayers, director of the Government Law Center, joined Spectrum News' "In Focus" for the segment "Legal Aspect of Citizenship Question Removed From Census 2020" on August 11, 2019.

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers joined "The Capitol Pressroom" for the segment "The Attorney General's intersection of law and politics" on May 13, 2019.

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the preLaw magazine article "Albany Law expands public service offerings" on April 9, 2019.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Pacer Monitor article "Dispute Could Return Abortion to SCOTUS, Justice Kavanaugh" on October 29, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers' policy brief on the future of abortion rights in New York was featured in the New York State of Politics article "The Truth About Abortion in NYS" on October 17, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers joined KSRO Radio in Santa Rosa, Calif., to discuss the direction of the Supreme Court after the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh on October 9, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers joined WAMC for the segment "How Will Kavanaugh Impact the Supreme Court?" on October 8, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Times Union article "How safe are abortion rights in NY if Kavanaugh is confirmed?" on September 24, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers joined "The Capitol Pressroom" on September 21, 2018, to discuss her policy brief on the future of abortion rights in New York under a more conservative Supreme Court. 

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers was profiled in the Georgetown Law article "Fein (L'75) & Ayers (L'05): A New York State of Rights" on August 30, 2018.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers joined WAMC's Everything Explained podcast for the episode, "What Are Sanctuary Cities?" (August 27, 2018)

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Daily Racing Form article "Sports betting the talk of Saratoga law conference" on August 7, 2018.​

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers and Advisory Board Chair Scott Fein joined Spectrum News' "Capital Tonight" on July 18, 2018, to preview the joint GLC-Rockefeller Institute forum on a shifting Supreme Court and state constitutional protections.​

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers joined "The Capitol Pressroom" to discuss immigration issues following the GLC's Anderson Breakfast Series panel on April 3, 2018. ​

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers spoke with NewsChannel 13 for the segment "Albany's police chief insists city is complying with federal immigration law" on January 25, 2018.

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Times Union article "Capital Region Salvadorans seek options after end of TPS" on January 14, 2018.

  • ​​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Times Union article "Albany stands firm on sanctuary city status" on January 9, 2018.

  • GLC Director Ava Ayers spoke with WAMC for the segment "Sanctuary Cities Forum Tonight at Albany Law" on November 9, 2017. She was also quoted in the Times Union article "Albany Law holds symposium on sanctuary cities."

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers discussed the implications of a constitutional convention in New York with WNYT NewsChannel 13 on October 4, 2017.

  • ​Government Law Center Director Ava Ayers joined WAMC's "The Roundtable" along with alumnus Tom Vilsack, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, on April 27, 2017. Professor Ayers discussed the Alumni in Government Award winners and the GLC's Rural Law Initiative.

  • ​GLC Director Ava Ayers was quoted in the Daily Gazette article "New SUNY Cobleskill institute eyes ‘rural vitality’" on March 4, 2017.

  • GLC Director Ava Ayers' hiring was featured in the New York Law Journal on November 17, 2016. She was also featured in the Business Review's "People on the Move" section on November 18, and the Times Union's "On the Move" section on November 21.


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