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
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.
Podcast
A collage graphic with the "A more perfect district podcast" red and white letter logo. Episode 4: Powering real public safety
  • Criminal Justice Reform

Powering Real Public Safety

In this episode, we cover what you need to know about the public safety issues impacting our District. Host Alicia Yass, Policy Advocacy Director, is joined by Peggy Ramin, Policy Counsel, to discuss what real public safety looks like and how D.C. leaders can uplift prevention, instead of over-relying on policing and incarceration. Later, Yass is joined by James Carpenter of the Free Minds Book Club. Here they discuss why D.C. needs to support reentry programs, the importance of support services to the formerly incarcerated, and what matters most to this community.