In her nearly two decades working in law and higher education, Abby always found mentoring and supporting emerging leaders to be one of the most meaningful parts of her work. She began her legal career serving as a judicial clerk in the Southern District of New York and U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and then taught legal writing at Tulane Law School. She practiced white-collar criminal defense and commercial litigation at Sullivan and Cromwell in New York and Fishman Haygood in New Orleans. In all these roles, Abby sought out opportunities to supervise, mentor, and train junior team members.

In 2012, Abby transitioned to a career in higher education to have a more direct impact on the development and success of young professionals. As Director of Student Conduct for Tulane University and then as Dean of Students at Tulane Law School, she counseled and coached thousands of students and their families on issues ranging from professional development, academic planning, and performance to executive functioning challenges, anxiety, and other mental health issues. As a key strategic partner to university leadership, Abby helped develop policies and respond to complex challenges and major world events, including Covid-19.

She launched Abby Gaunt Coaching and Consulting to empower lawyers, law firms and other organizations optimize their full potential. Abby has conducted more than one hundred trainings and workshops on topics including well-being, cross-generational communication, time management and productivity, neurodivergence, and giving and receiving feedback. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Fordham Law School and her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.

Abby lives in New Orleans with her husband, two children, and their dog.