Athar Haseebullah

Athar Haseebullah, Esq. is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada, Nevada’s largest civil liberties and civil rights organization. Athar is a prolific civil rights leader, lawyer, and strategist with a breadth of professional experience. Since he took over the organization in January of 2021, Athar has overhauled the organization, leading it to major civil liberties and civil rights wins in Nevada courtrooms and policy chambers. Athar leads a dedicated team of more than a dozen professionals statewide and is frequently referenced in media stories involving significant civil liberties and civil rights issues.
Among a variety of other recognitions, Athar received the Clark County Law Foundation’s 2024 Liberty Bell Award, the National Bar Association’s 2024 National Excellence in Activism Award, the Urban Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Chairman’s Award, the Junior League of Las Vegas’ 2025 Community Impact award, and the NAACP of Las Vegas’ 2025 Lubertha Johnson Excellence in Advocacy Award. Athar has also been named to Vegas Inc.’s “Top 40 Under 40” (2022), was the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association’s Attorney of the Year (2023), and was named to the National Bar Association’s “40 Under 40: Best Advocates in the Nation”(2024).
Athar is a double graduate of Howard University, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with highest honors and his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. Athar has served in a variety of positions, including holding positions with the City of New York, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, the RTC of Southern Nevada, and Opportunity 180. He serves as a board member for a number of organizations, including Nevada GrantLab, the Urban Chamber of Commerce, and the local alumni chapter of his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Athar is based in Las Vegas, NV, where he grew up.