George Bach headshot

George Bach

Professor

Full-Time Faculty
Socials

Biography

George Bach is a Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, teaching Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure. 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
  •  

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).