Candidate Statements for the 2024 Board Nominees

As a Visiting Associate Professor and Director of the Street Law Program at Georgetown University Law Center, I bring a unique perspective to the table. My expertise lies in translating complex legal principles into accessible, relevant, and actionable information for use by everyday citizens. I work closely with underserved populations, lawyers, judges, law students, and other legal professionals.  

As an ACLU-DC Board Member, I, along with the ACLU-DC legal team, (1) created lesson plans designed to explore civil liberties using real cases from our local community, encouraged students to avail themselves of all legal avenues if their rights are violated, and highlighted the work of the local affiliate; (2) supported the development of instructional materials on small claims courts and how citizens can use the courts to their benefit to address civil liberties complaints and (3) conducted multiple “Know your Rights” trainings for university students and community members. Should you honor me to serve on the ACLU-DC Board, I can continue supporting the ACLU’s efforts by using interactive teaching methods to inform our communities of the issues related to civil liberties we face today. Thank you for your consideration.

I am honored to be nominated to serve a second term on the Board of the ACLU of DC. I’ve greatly enjoyed my Board service so far, including being an active member of the Legal Panel and the Finance Committee, and joining the Executive Committee this past year. 

I have dedicated the bulk of my legal career to litigating issues and causes that make up the core of the ACLU’s mission—that’s no accident, as it was interning at the ACLU during college that inspired me to go to law school, and to pursue a career in public interest. I am currently the Director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court & Appellate Program, where I work on criminal justice issues, and on behalf of incarcerated people and individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated, including by law enforcement. Previously, I worked at the National Women’s Law Center, advocating on behalf of girls and LGBTQ+ students, using Title IX to ensure that they were fully protected against discrimination and harassment in schools. During my time in private practice, I frequently worked alongside the ACLU on issues involving the rights of transgender individuals, reproductive rights, and housing discrimination. I would be thrilled to continue my service on the Board of the ACLU of DC. I think that would make my former boss, Justice Ginsburg, proud. Every day I try to honor her legacy by making our society a little bit fairer. 

I am honored to be nominated for a second term on the board of ACLU-DC. I have worked with the ACLU many times over the years, usually on the criminalization of homelessness or other issues where criminal and economic justice intersect. 

I graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003 and have been an attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless ever since. For many years, I led the Legal Clinic’s systemic reform work, focusing on increasing investments in deeply affordable housing, lowering barriers to rental housing, and ensuring that housing and shelter programs are accessible, dignified, and low-barrier. In 2022, I became the executive director of the Legal Clinic. I teach a class at Georgetown University Law Center on homelessness, poverty and advocacy strategies, am on the steering committees for the Way Home Campaign, and am a board member of First Shift Justice Project. 

Prior to coming to DC to attend law school, I grew up in Arizona and obtained a degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona.

I am thrilled and honored to be nominated to serve on the Board of the ACLU-DC. I have resided with my wife (and now teenage children) in D.C. for 21 years, and care deeply about the civil rights of my fellow Washingtonians. 

Following law school and a two-year clerkship in the Southern District of Ohio, I joined the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, where I am a litigator. While litigation encompasses many areas, my dominant focus is on government-facing litigation arising under the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and other federal laws. 

My commercial practice has served as a useful foundation for the substantial pro bono practice that I have maintained since starting at Crowell, and which over the last half-dozen years has been devoted almost exclusively to impact civil rights cases. To that end, I have worked closely with the ACLU of Maryland in lawsuits targeting police misconduct, violations of voting rights, and violations of free speech and equal protection rights, among other things. For my work on one such case, the National Law Journal recognized me in 2020 as “Political Activism and First Amendment Rights Trailblazer.” Currently, I lead a Crowell team as co-counsel with another Washington-based civil rights organization representing tenants of a D.C. apartment building and their tenants association in housing rights litigation against the property owner and manager. 

I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting busy on the important work of the ACLU-DC. 

As some of you know, when I walked into the NYCLU office in 1964, new Ph.D. in hand and eager to volunteer, all I was asked was, “Can you type?” I walked out. 

My ACLU history began a few years later, when I joined the national ACLU’s academic freedom committee. I was later on the national board, 1979-2015, at times serving as national secretary and vice-president. I have spoken at many of our affiliates and numerous biennials and, as someone with a hearing disability, shepherded national ACLU policy on disability rights. Two of my earlier books are about ACLU speech cases; my latest one is about RBG’s gender litigation in the 1970s. 

I taught political science and law for 35 years before moving to the Woodrow Wilson Center, where I organized programs about, e.g., U.S. racial minorities, Muslim-Americans, immigration, and women and the law. I am now a Global Fellow at the Center. 

I have been honored to serve in the past as president of our affiliate, and currently chair our Governance Committee. Throughout my years on the national and affiliate boards, I have emphasized diversity, equity and inclusion. No ACLUer would ask a woman volunteer today, “Can you type?” We keep learning, remaining true to our core principles while adjusting to new opportunities and new threats. I hope to continue helping us do so, as we work our way through times that are challenging for the values that we ACLUers know are so fundamental to our democracy. 

I am honored to run for a second term on the Board of the ACLU-DC.  This is an extraordinary time for the ACLU-DC as it works to protect and strengthen civil liberties through legal action, legislative advocacy, and public education.  

There are many areas the ACLU-DC is pursuing to guarantee rights and opportunities-  including DC Statehood, racial justice, free speech, prison reform, housing protections, LGBTQ rights, police reform, disability protections, voting rights, and immigration rights.   

I strongly believe in the principles of fairness, inclusion, equity, justice, and diversity that guide this important work of the ACLU-DC and the national ACLU, and I would be privileged to contribute to their efforts.  

I worked for more than 15 years as a policy analyst and manager in several Federal government agencies in Washington.  I have also served on the Boards of several non-profit organizations in Washington, DC and other communities focused on improved health care, support for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and efforts to eliminate homelessness.  Of course, the past three years I have served on the ACLU DC Board have given me an understanding of the work of the ACLU DC and the important issues facing the residents of Washington.   

 I understand the importance of identifying needs, setting priorities for allocation of resources, and getting input from affected individuals and communities.  That understanding would guide my service on the Board of the ACLU-DC. 

Thank you for your support. 

Thank you for this nomination to continue serving as a member of the ACLU-DC board. I first started as a legislative committee volunteer before my election to the board in 2015. Since then, I have had opportunity to serve in board leadership positions, as representative to ACLU National Board, affiliate secretary, vice president, and currently as president. 

ACLU-DC as an affiliate has developed significantly since I first started. Under the leadership of our executive director and affiliate staff, we’ve professionalized services, increased staff capacity, launched innovative programs, and advanced integrated advocacy work across the District. 

The timing for our successful growth is critical. In my career, I have worked in DC policymaking, government relations, and now state and national higher education. The issues we face are significant and deeply concerning; growing attacks on free speech, racial justice, women’s health, and fundamental principles of democracy threaten to undo our past progress. 

ACLU is on the frontlines of this fight and the forefront of organizations capable of winning. It is a privilege to be a part of this work and I am optimistic about our future because I see the strength, skill and vision of our organization. As the first Asian American affiliate president in DC, I am proud that we have cultivated a deep bench of diverse, talented, committed board leaders that are ready and able to effectively confront the growing challenges to civil liberties across our city and our nation. 

Thank you again for your consideration of my nomination. 

My name is Ronee Jarman, and I am honored to be nominated to the board of the ACLU DC, an organization that has been committed to fighting for civil liberties, freedoms, rights, and justice for all.  

I am currently the Business Transformation Lead for Microsoft Gaming.  My interest and background in partnering with a diverse set of individuals across Microsoft Gaming and across the industry to leverage advance technology, making our games accessible for all gamers is at the core of my remit.  

Helping to influence and leverage advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to make the best games is our focus.  Leveraging AI is the way of the future, but we must also stay informed and focused on data and privacy regulation to always maintain the requisite privacy standards for all residents of the District.   The ACLU of DC’s work to protect, inform and empower the most marginalized among us inspires me.  Additional areas of interest that the ACLU of DC’s supports, includes voting rights, D.C. Statehood, reproductive freedoms and working with our youth – especially to provide tech opportunities that those in underserved communities wouldn’t normally experience.  

DC is my home and if elected, I will partner and collaborate with my fellow Board Members, the ACLU of DC, and residents from all Wards and communities of the District.  Thanks in advance for the consideration.