Christie A. Baer

Christie Ayotte Baer is the Assistant Executive Director for the University of Michigan's Center on Finance, Law and Policy. In that capacity, she also serves as program director for the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project, an interdisciplinary engaged learning experience that provides one-on-one wrap-around services to Detroit entrepreneurs by pairing small businesses with teams of students from the Law School, the Ross School of Business, the Stamps School of Art & Design, the Ford School of Public Policy and the College of Engineering. These faculty-supervised teams provide targeted legal, financial, design, and technical services to help entrepreneurs overcome key obstacles to growth.


Prior to joining the Center in July of 2016, Baer was an attorney in private practice in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia at the firm she founded and owned. In that role, Baer managed all aspects of the firm's operations, from finance to staffing, while representing clients in high-conflict litigation throughout Georgia. She is licensed to practice in Georgia and Michigan.


In addition to her legal experience, Baer has extensive experience in policy, political organizing, and non-profit work. Baer received her JD from Emory University School of Law and her BA in Sociology from Smith College.