Ashley C. Pope is a Partner in the firm's Long Island office in Farmingdale, New York. Her practice focuses on providing general counsel and compliance advice to municipalities and school districts on matters involving labor & employment law, public sector labor relations, special education and civil rights law, investigations, audits, and litigation. She also regularly presents to boards, administrators, school employees, and outside practitioners on education-related legal compliance. Prior to rejoining Guercio & Guercio as a Partner in 2021, Ms. Pope served as Deputy General Counsel for Suffolk County Community College, the largest community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, for 4.5 years.
Ms. Pope brings a diverse experience to the firm, including representation of institutions of higher education, and representation of school districts and public sector clients in arbitrations, hearings, disciplinary proceedings, collective bargaining, matters before the U.S. Department of Education, the New York State Commissioner of Education / State Education Department, the State Review Officer, the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights, and in proceedings before State and Federal Courts.
Ms. Pope is a 2011 graduate of Fordham University School of Law, and a 2007 graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in History. During law school, Ms. Pope received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award, magna cum laude, in recognition of having performed over 500 hours of pro bono and community service work. She also has extensive experience serving on boards of directors of nonprofit organizations, and currently serves as an officer and on the board of her local civic organization on the east end of Long Island.
Areas of Practice:
- Education & Municipal Law
- Labor & Employment
- Real Property Taxation & Tax Certiorari
- Special Education Law
Bar Admissions:
- New York State
- U.S. District Court – Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education:
- Fordham University School of Law, New York, NY, J.D., 2011
- Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, B.A., History, 2007 – cum laude
Honors and Awards:
- Super Lawyers – "Rising Stars" New York Metro (2022)
- Super Lawyers – “Rising Stars” New York Metro (2021)
- Super Lawyers – “Rising Stars” New York Metro (2020)
- Super Lawyers – “Rising Stars” New York Metro (2019)
- Super Lawyers – “Rising Stars” New York Metro (2018)
- Super Lawyers – “Rising Stars” New York Metro (2017)
Professional Associations & Memberships:
- New York State Bar Association – Labor & Employment Law Section, Local and State Government Law Section
- Association on Higher Education and Disability