Joshua Decker '06 Named Interim Director of ACLU of Alaska

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska announced [May 9] the selection of Joshua Decker to serve as interim executive director, effective May 22, 2013.

ACLU of Alaska President Donna Goldsmith says of Decker, “He brings to the table considerable litigation and organizational skills, clarity of vision, and a deep appreciation for, and commitment to, the bedrock principles found within our state and federal constitutions. In his new capacity as interim Executive Director, Joshua Decker will continue to be a tremendous asset to the ACLU of Alaska. I have every confidence that he will serve us well.”

Decker, who is a staff attorney for the ACLU of Alaska, has litigated cases relating to erasing criminal records that were caused by police misconduct, free speech rights in public places, protection of confidential organizational information, and other areas. Before joining the ACLU of Alaska, he spent four years at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, where he represented rural, low-income and elderly individuals in a wide variety of civil cases, and one year as an associate in the New York City office of Clifford Chance US LLP. Decker earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the executive editor of the Chicago Journal of International Law, and an avid participant in the civil rights and police accountability clinic. He also earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, from which he graduated with honors in political science.

Decker stated, “Under the Board’s and Jeffrey’s leadership, the ACLU of Alaska has improved the lives of fellow Alaskans by protecting our important constitutional rights and civil liberties. I am honored to be the interim Executive Director and am excited to work even more closely with our committed members, passionate activists, and all Alaskans on defending our fundamental constitutional freedoms.”