PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2023
For Information:
Kim Moa, 808.203.9945
[email protected]
ACLU OF HAWAI‘I HIRES TAYLOR BRACK AS NEW STAFF ATTORNEY
HONOLULU: The ACLU of Hawai‘i is pleased to announce the addition of Taylor Brack as its new Staff Attorney. Her position will help advance the ACLU’s efforts to better protect and advance civil rights for the people of Hawaiʻi.
Born and raised in Mississippi, Taylor graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Chinese. In 2016, she moved to Oʻahu to attend William S. Richardson School of Law at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa where she received a J.D. focused in international law.
Taylor joins the ACLU with a strong background in immigration law, public interest law, and legal research and advocacy. She began her legal career working with immigrant communities as a law fellow at the Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic (RILC) where she served asylum-seeking families, DACA-recipients, and applicants for U.S. citizenship. In her work with people who are often excluded from the legal process and denied equal protection under the law, Taylor saw a great need to build strong communities that protect the dignity and legal rights of everyone.
On joining the ACLU of Hawai‘i team, Taylor Brack said, “I am so grateful for the knowledgeable, passionate, and supportive team at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi and I am excited to be able to contribute to so many impactful projects. To serve and defend the civil rights of all people living in Hawai'i is a profound privilege for me.” She sees her work with the ACLU as part of a legacy of legal advocacy and trauma-informed lawyering.
During Law School, Taylor interned with the Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi where she helped immigrants who experienced domestic violence or trafficking apply for visas as victims of crime. She also interned at the Medical-Legal Partnership where she completed legislative research on the issue of equal access for Micronesian drivers in Hawaiʻi and unethical Marshallese adoptions. Her paper, “Health as a Human Right in China, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States,” was published in the twentieth volume of the Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal. She was also a recipient of the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) Selected Professions Fellowship.
Prior to joining the ACLU, Taylor also spent a year as a law clerk for the Senior Judge of the Family Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai'i - the Hon. Matthew J. Viola, where she worked closely with marginalized folks who suffered the most from disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system. Her passion and advocacy for international human rights, immigration and housing justice, labor and children’s rights, and breaking the school-to-prison pipeline, enhances the ACLU’s work in smart justice, decriminalizing poverty, and reimagining policing.
ACLU of Hawai‘i Legal Director Wookie Kim said, “We're excited to have Taylor onboard as our new staff attorney. Taylor brings a wealth of experiences and perspectives to our ongoing work to advance civil rights and civil liberties in Hawaiʻi. We know she'll have an immediate impact."
###
The mission of the Hawai‘i affiliate of the ACLU is to protect the civil liberties contained in the state and federal constitutions through litigation, legislative and public education programs statewide. The ACLU is funded primarily through private donations and offers its services at no cost to the public. The ACLU does not accept any government funds