George Bach headshot

George Bach

Visiting Professor

Visiting Faculty
Socials

Biography

George Bach is a Visiting Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, teaching Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure. He is visiting from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Before becoming a full-time faculty member, Bach practiced in civil rights, union-side labor law, and employment law. In 2005, he became the first staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, where he litigated a wide variety of civil rights cases in state and federal courts. In 2009, he and attorney Matthew L. Garcia formed the firm of Bach & Garcia. 

A former president of the New Mexico Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association, Bach was honored with a Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance "Treasure" Award for his work in the LGBT community. Bach serves as a volunteer member of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico's legal panel.

Research Areas

  • Civil rights
  • State civil rights acts
  • Federalism limits on enforcement of immigration laws
  • Evidence

Education

  • University of New Mexico School of Law, JD, 2002
  • Centre College of Kentucky, BA in Government and Dramatic Arts, 1992

Prior Experience

  •  
  • Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law
  • Partner, Bach & Garcia
  • Managing Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico
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Awards & Distinctions

  • University of New Mexico Alumni Association Faculty Teaching Award, 2020
  • University of New Mexico School of Law Most Inspiring Professor, 2018
  • University of New Mexico School of Law Best Overall Professor, 2017 
  • University of New Mexico School of Law Professor of the Year, 2014
  • University of New Mexico School of Law “Dopest” Professor Award, 2012

Law Reviews and Journal Articles

  • DON’T BE AFRAID OF TRIAL: Making the Teaching of Trial Practice Accessible and, Yes, Less Aspirational, 22.1 Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal 29 (2022).
  • Moderating the Use of Lay Opinion Identification Testimony related to Surveillance Video, 47 Florida State University Law Review 445 (2020).
  • Federalism and the State Police Power – Why Immigration and Customs Enforcement Must Stay Away from State Courthouses, 54 Willamette Law Review 323 (Spring 2018).
  • Answering the “Serious Constitutional Question”: Ensuring Meaningful Review of All Constitutional Claims, 117 West Virginia L. Rev. 177 (2014).
  • State Law to the Contrary? Examining Potential Limits on the Authority of State and Local Law Enforcement to Enforce Federal Immigration Law, 22 Temp. Pol. & Civ. Rts. L. Rev. 67 (Fall 2012).