After spending nearly a decade providing free legal services to immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, Shay returned to her home state of Florida to serve as AI Justice’s second Executive Director in August 2022. Before joining AI Justice, Shay served as an attorney consultant at Fordham University School of Law, where she led the Feerick Center for Social Justice’s national effort to expand access to counsel for mothers, fathers, and children who seek asylum. Before this Shay directed the Asylum Defense Project, an initiative of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented immigrant families detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas and individuals forced to remain in Mexico under the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP). Shay also directed the Harlingen, Texas office of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and worked as a Staff Attorney with Catholic Charities Community Services in New York City.

Shay obtained a Juris Doctor at the University of California, Davis King Hall School of Law, a Masters of Teaching at Dominican University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University. Before law school Shay taught Spanish at Harper High School in Chicago. She is a proud alumna of Teach for America, Education Pioneers, and the Equal Justice Works fellowship program.