Ami S. Jaeger’s Story
From the time she was 8 years old, Ami knew that she wanted to be a lawyer. After decades serving clients, she is still convinced that she made the best career choice.
Ami received her Law Degree and Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; BBA in Finance from the University of Iowa; Certificate in Mediation from University of New Mexico Law School; Certificate in Bioethics from Georgetown University.
Ami developed her legal skills and experience by following a meandering path. Early in her career, she was immersed in reproductive law: supporting people’s choices and rights to create the family of their choosing, and assisting physicians and scientists who were counseling and providing medical services to create families. This informs her work around Health Law.
She navigated many firsts: first case naming same sex couple as parents without an adoption; prevailing in challenge attempting to ban IVF as unconstitutional experimentation; cited by EEOC policy to protect employee’s genetic information, eventually leading to the passage of GINA; and developing model legislation for assisted reproduction.
She assisted US Congress and the National Institutes of Health Human Genome Project and ELSI (Ethical Legal and Social Implications Program) navigate emerging genetic discoveries and related health applications, while observing legal and ethical boundaries for patients and society.
Observing children and families and hearing their struggles caused Jaeger to focus on resolving personal challenges. She became a mediator and facilitator for Special Education disputes throughout New Mexico. From there she served as general counsel to the Santa Fe Public Schools, becoming immersed in a full range of public school issues. She also served as counsel to the NM Public Education Commission, the authorizer of charter schools in New Mexico.
Overlaid on her legal work, was service as analyst to various legislative committees, including the New Mexico House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Senate Conservation Committee, House Speaker, and Senate Majority Leader. Serving as analyst for 15 years, Jaeger trained and honed a team of 13 analysts for over six years as Lead Senate Majority Analyst. Learn more about her work in Education and Legislative Initiatives.
But life lessons came through challenges. Ami assisted her grandmother and then her parents through their unique aging process. She learned first hand the difficult decisionmaking and balancing of elder safety and independence that her parents faced, navigating dementia, hearing loss, and blindness while plotting a course with fierce independence and courage. And frankly, the law provides few supports in this grey area of aging. Ami brings to each conversation this experience and empathy, to support your or your family with the hope and goal to provide you with the best legal options. She is experienced in Life Phase Nine: Life and Estate Planning, Elder Law and Probate.
