The ACLU of Hawaii is pleased to announce the addition of Taylor Brack as its new Staff Attorney.
The ACLU of Hawaii 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 Hawaii.
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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii team, Taylor Brack said, “I am so grateful for the knowledgeable, passionate, and supportive team at the ACLU of Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii – 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii. We know she’ll have an immediate impact.”
