Monica Hopkins is the executive director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia (ACLU-DC). She took the helm of the D.C. affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union in 2014.
Prior to joining the ACLU-DC Monica served as the executive director of the ACLU of Idaho from 2008–2014 during which time she oversaw sweeping statewide victories, particularly in the areas of criminal justice reform, LGBTQIA equality, immigrants’ rights and upholding the First Amendment. Prior to joining the ACLU, Monica had a held several executive and development positions in the nonprofit sector.
Under Monica’s leadership, the ACLU-DC has grown its capacity and reach allowing the organization to become a resource for all District residents. As executive director, Monica oversees substantive programmatic and advocacy efforts to defend and advance the ACLU-DC’s work on civil rights and civil liberties for the over 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia.
As the organization’s principal spokesperson she helps increase public awareness of the ACLU-DC’s work. Monica has been quoted by national radio, television, and print media outlets, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly, Al-Jazeera, Politico, and NPR.
Monica is a graduate of Boise State University. She is also a 2012–2013 Rockwood Institute LGBT Advocacy Fellow and currently serves on the board of the National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens.
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.
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.