Athar Haseebullah, Esq. is the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, Nevada’s largest civil liberties and civil rights organization. The first person of color to lead the organization since its founding in 1966, Athar is a prolific leader and strategist with a breadth of professional experience. Since he took over the ACLU of Nevada in January of 2021, Athar has led the organization to major wins in Nevada courtrooms, legislative bodies, and in the community. Athar leads a dedicated team of over a dozen professionals statewide on major civil rights issues and has been frequently referenced within media stories involving civil liberties and civil rights issues.
Athar has served in a variety of roles during his career, including time spent as a litigator for both the City of New York and the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and in roles as the senior government affairs and legal administrator for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and general counsel for Nevada educational non-profit Opportunity 180. Athar is a double graduate of Howard University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University with highest honors and his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, where he received top marks in five different courses and served on student government. Athar has been admitted to practice law in Nevada, New York, and New Jersey.
Athar’s organizational affiliations include his service on the Board of Directors for the Urban Chamber of Commerce and leadership roles within his local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Athar has also served as a member of the Nevada Sentencing Commission, the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, and as a board member and volunteer with a multitude of other organizations. Among other recognitions, Athar was named to Vegas Inc.’s “40 Under 40,” has been honored as a trailblazer by the Asian Community Development Council, and has received the William S. Boyd School of Law’s Service Award, the African Chamber of Commerce’s Advocate for Justice and Equality Award, and was recognized as the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association’s 2023 Attorney of the Year. Athar is based in Las Vegas, NV, where he grew up.
