Deborah Ashford

Deborah T. Ashford’s "practice involves tax and corporate matters for tax-exempt organizations. Deborah provides general tax and corporate representation to a number of nonprofit organizations, including charitable, educational, and health care entities; hospitals, private foundations, and trade associations; and related nonprofit and for-profit entities. She has extensive experience in organizing and restructuring nonprofit corporations, associations, coalitions, and for-profit subsidiaries; securing federal and state tax exemptions; advising organizations regarding corporate governance, lobbying activities, and unrelated business taxes; preparing Internal Revenue Service ruling requests and assisting in tax audits and rulings appeal; monitoring and drafting tax legislative proposals; and conducting seminars and workshops. Deborah also represents a number of international nonprofits in the United States in respect to activities in other countries.

"In 1995, Deborah was appointed by President Clinton as the U.S. nominee, and then elected by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), to serve as a judge on the UN Administrative Tribunal for a three-year term beginning in 1996. In 1999, she was elected to serve a second term as judge on the Tribunal.

"In addition, Deborah has been a speaker at conferences on tax-exempt issues sponsored by the National Health Lawyers' Association and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. In 2001, she was selected to speak at Yale University's Tercentennial Celebration at Yale Law School. Deborah also co-authored Lobbying and the Law, a guide to federal tax limitations on legislative and political activities by nonprofit organizations.

"Prior to law school, Deborah served as special assistant to the director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare; assistant to the commissioner, U.S. Office of Education; and assistant to the director of the Women Studies Program at the University of Alabama, on whose faculty she served for two years."

• Former Director, Center for Democracy