Dani Eyer is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah.

The ACLU, founded in 1920, is a nationwide, nonpartisan organization dedicated to working in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by both the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

Born in San Francisco, Eyer came to Utah 30 years ago for school and stayed. She has a BA in political science and a law degree earned here in Utah . She has also been a high school social studies teacher, and owned and operated an independent bookstore called Atticus Books, located in an old farmhouse. She was the President of the Intermountain Independent Booksellers Association.

In the 80’s Eyer was an associate trial lawyer for years with a mid-size general firm specializing in plaintiff’s litigation. She is a member of the Utah State Bar and has been a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. She also did appellate work for her firm and has appeared before the Utah Supreme Court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Prior to that, she was a law clerk for the Office of the Attorney General.

Eyer had been doing some volunteer legal research work for the ACLU for a year before becoming executive director. As director she has given over 80 lectures or presentations on civil liberties issues, including a dozen with various representatives of the Department of Justice on the erosion of civil liberties in the post 9/11 era.

Dani Eyer will participate in the “A Collage of Human Rights Experiences: A Panel Discussion” on Saturday, Oct. 28, 12:30 pm, in the Salt Lake City Main Library, Conference Room A/B.