Alicia Yass

Alicia Yass

Pronouns: she/her

Policy Advocacy Director

Policy Advocacy

Bio

Alicia Yass, serves as the Policy Advocacy Director. Before coming to the ACLU-DC, Alicia was Chief Counsel for the Democrats on the House of Representatives, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. There, she led work investigating COVID origins, NIH grant processes, and NY State’s COVID response in nursing homes. Prior to that, she was Deputy Executive Director for the DC Office of Police Complaints, providing oversight and guidance to DC’s MPD and HAPD. She was previously with the American Constitution Society (ACS), leading the lawyer chapters. Alicia started her legal career as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and was co-assigned as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where she prosecuted child pornography and child sex trafficking crimes. Alicia received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Washington University, and her law degree from New York University School of Law. In her free time Alicia teaches barre and puts on shows with the St. Mark’s Players.

Featured Work

Podcast
Inside the D.C. Council - How Local Change Happens

Inside the D.C. Council - How Local Change Happens

The D.C. Council makes decisions that affect nearly every aspect of life in the District, from civil rights protections to funding for essential services. But how does the Council actually work, and how can residents influence its decisions? Monica Hopkins, Executive Director at ACLU-D.C. sits down with Alicia Yass, Policy Advocacy Director at the ACLU-D.C. and Katharine Landfield, Senior Advocacy Strategist at Fair Budget Coalition for a conversation about the legislative and budget process, common misconceptions about local government, and the many ways District residents can advocate for change. Whether you're new to civic engagement or looking to become more involved, this episode offers a practical guide to participating in D.C.'s democracy.
Podcast
A more perfect district podcast. Episode 05: D.C.'s fight for self-government
  • D.C. Home Rule|
  • +1 Issue

D.C.’s Fight for Self-Government

In this episode, we discuss the impact of D.C. Home Rule and the future of D.C. statehood. Host Alicia Yass, Policy Advocacy Director, is joined by Melissa Wasser, Sr. Policy Counsel, to discuss the history of Home Rule and how protecting Home Rule is protecting democracy. Later, Yass is joined by Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director of Free DC. Here they discuss why D.C. needs Statehood, how Congress has a history of deciding the fate of D.C. and its residents, and the journey for equal representation for D.C. residents.