Who I Am

Email:  abigail@asalisbury.org

Phone:  412-496-9542

 Experience

I have a unique background that allows me to provide services tailored to the needs of non-profit organizations and small businesses.  Some of my accomplishments include:

  • Teaching a First Amendment course at the University of Pittsburgh as an Adjunct Professor.
  • Designing a new legal research and writing model as the Executive Director of JURIST, the award-winning non-profit legal news and research service at Pitt Law.
  • Cooperating with a diverse team to create substantive content and run the Pittsburgh Haiti Symposium, an educational gathering for Pittsburgh-area entities working for the benefit of Haitians.
  • Successfully negotiating hundreds of agreements with non-profit and corporate entities as a university contracts officer.
  • Evaluating institutional compliance as a Kiva Microfinance Fellow in Senegal.
  • Teaching International Human Rights Law as an Assistant Professor in Ethiopia.
  • Working on international criminal cases at a criminal defense firm in Kosovo.

Education

  • Certificate in Jewish Leadership, Spertus Institute, Northwestern University
  • Master of Public Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
    • African Studies Certificate
  • National Preparedness and Homeland Security Certificate, University of Pittsburgh
  • Juris Doctor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
    • International and Comparative Law Certificate
    • Associate Editor, Pittsburgh Tax Review
  • Bachelor of Arts in Art History and French, Case Western Reserve University

Practice Privileges 

I am licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Publications and Presentations

I have published and presented my research into not only nonprofit law, but also sales of endangered animal furs, autism in the workplace, legal education, formation of collaborative networks, and people-centered development techniques.

I frequently give talks on nonprofit risk management, the legal risks of using interns and volunteers, legal issues employees may encounter in the workplace, and other matters.  I am grateful to have been invited to speak by organizations such as the Carnegie Library Nonprofit Resource Center, the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management.

Community Affiliations

  • Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA)
    • Past Chair and Vice Chair of Committee on Exempt Organizations
    • Past Vice Chair of Solo and Small Firm Practitioners Section
    • Women in Leadership in the Law (WILL) initial cohort
    • Women in the Law Division
  • Pittsburgh Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN Pgh)
    • Past Director and Vice President
    • Legal Advisor

Quoted

“Coronavirus Vaccine and the Job Industry” – KDKA CBS News

“The Ultimate Guide to Understanding a Business Loan Agreement” – Lending Tree

“What’s Your Nonprofit Social Media Crisis Response Plan?” – Software Advice

“How to Find the Right Small Business Lawyer” – Fundera Ledger.

“Allegheny County adds properties worth $108M back to tax rolls” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“Goodwill to launch a delivery service” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Businesses Offering Voting Discounts Are Technically Breaking Federal Law” – How Stuff Works