As an undergraduate student researching law schools, Ava Jane Teasley, ’25, was looking for an experience different from the one she had at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, where the student population was just under 4,000. She was set on going to a much larger school for her graduate work. But when her research led her to Mercer School of Law, she was intrigued. After a campus visit, she was sure Mercer fit her needs, and she remains certain that she made the right choice.
“I have fallen in love with Macon, and I’m thankful for the Mercer Law community,” she said. “It turns out that the small, intimate community is exactly what I needed.”
Hailing from Covington, Teasley majored in agriculture communication at ABAC and enjoyed her high school experience in the National FFA Organization, the premier youth organization preparing members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. She was unsure of the career path she wanted to pursue until she learned about the duties of a legal advocate and the importance the profession places on service.
“My parents are very intentional about ensuring my sister and I understand the value of serving others,” she said. “Because of that, finding a way to serve through my career is important. I think a lawyer has a unique opportunity to do that.”
Both of Teasley’s parents have backgrounds in education. Her father retired from a career in agriculture education, and her mother is a high school Spanish teacher.
“I have so much respect for people in education by witnessing my parents in their respective fields,” she said. “I’ve always loved school. I haven’t taken a break since kindergarten. All my interests and passions have started in the classroom.”
Even with her family’s history in education, Teasley didn’t know she was interested in education law until she was exposed to it during a summer internship at Smith, Welch, Webb and White. The largest law firm on the south side of Atlanta has helped private schools, public school districts, and higher education institutions throughout Georgia on legal issues for more than 50 years.
“The work at SWWW gave me purpose,” Teasley said. “I was mentored by many of their partners and associates, and they assigned me projects such as drafting motions, researching case law, and attending jury and bench trials. They took time to go over my work with me and provide feedback that has helped me develop as an aspiring lawyer.”
Teasley believes in building connections with her Mercer Law peers that will last beyond graduation. One way she does that is by serving as 3L Concerns chair with the Student Bar Association. In that position, she is responsible for coordination and oversight of all areas of 3L life and activities. Some of these events include the class composite, 50- and 100-day celebrations, and commencement.
“I communicate with members of my class, hear about their current concerns and learn about their future endeavors. I hope that these relationships leave a positive impact on my peers,” she said. “I love that by serving on the committee I can help 3Ls stop and take a moment to see how far they’ve come and to celebrate the stage of life they are in before focusing on the bar. I hope that because of the foundation built in law school, my peers know that I will always be a resource for them, even in the years after law school.”
Teasley also is a member of the Association of Women Law Students, works in the Furman Smith Law Library, and was active in the 2024 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy competition. Mercer School of Law earned the Attorney General’s Cup by raising more than $15,000 for the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
Teasley said her favorite experience at Mercer Law has been taking writing group through the Legal Writing Certificate Program with Dean Karen Sneddon.
“I loved the group I was with and learning from Dean Sneddon. The intimate class size made me feel like I was back at ABAC,” she said. “We worked together to better each other’s work in a collaborative way, and the conversations were refreshing. The class also gave me an opportunity to build a relationship with Dean Sneddon. I have found myself seeking her advice for scheduling, job applications and life in general.”
Teasley recently finished up an internship with Bibb County Superior Court Chief Judge Philip T. Raymond, III, ’79.
The best thing about Mercer Law, she said, is its legacy as the second oldest law school in the state of Georgia where so many honorable people have studied.
“It’s humbling to think that at one time great judges, lawmakers and advocates were in this library late, studying for the same exams I am now,” she said. “It inspires me that I can also make a difference because we all started as students with a goal.”
Teasley will be the first lawyer in her family. She is seeking employment for after graduation, hopefully with a firm in Birmingham, Alabama, where her fiancé lives. Their wedding is planned for March.
