A Conversation with ACLU State Campaigns Director Nahal Zamani

Free & Open to the Public

Join us for a timely and engaging conversation as Udi Ofer sits down with Nahal Zamani to explore the power and complexity of state-level advocacy. Drawing on her leadership at the ACLU and years of experience advancing campaigns on issues like criminal justice reform, immigrants’ rights, and government accountability, Zamani will offer an inside look at how coordinated state campaigns drive national impact. Moderated by Ofer, a leading voice in civil rights and policy reform, this conversation will unpack the strategies, partnerships, and challenges shaping advocacy work today.

Nahal Zamani is the Director of State Campaigns at the ACLU National Political Advocacy Department, where she leads a team supporting shared political and advocacy campaigns with our 54 affiliates. Before the ACLU, Nahal served as the Senior Vice President of Programs at the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), a national strategy center for state legislators. At SiX, Nahal oversaw six program teams and participated on the Executive Team. Before SiX, Nahal was the first-ever Director of Movement Building at Demos, a national progressive think tank, and directed the partnerships and campaigns teams.
For over a decade, Nahal managed impactful campaigns at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). She advocated regularly before elected officials, the UN, and the public. At CCR, Nahal’s work included challenging the NYPD’s abusive stop-and-frisk practices and other discriminatory policing practices, criminal justice, economic and gender justice, immigrants’ rights, and government abuse of power. Nahal also was a founding member and served on the Steering and Executive Committees of the Communities United for Police Reform campaign in New York City. At the start of her career, Nahal also worked with the ACLU, overseeing advocacy campaigns with the Human Rights Program and supporting litigation efforts with the National Security Project. Nahal’s work has been covered in The New York Times, MSNBC, Al Dia, City and State New York, Sirius XM, and BRIC TV. She holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and a B.A. from Rutgers University

Udi Ofer is a civil rights lawyer and policy expert focused on criminal justice reform. He led national advocacy at the ACLU, driving major reforms on policing and incarceration, and previously headed the ACLU of New Jersey. He now teaches public policy at Princeton University, where he leads a policy advocacy clinic.