Commission on Human Rights
Kentucky Human Rights Commission hires new attorney to help with significant caseload

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights has hired a new staff attorney to help with its caseload.

Alysia Robben began on September 1, 2011, and comes to the commission from Washington, D.C. where she was a professor of law and the supervising attorney of the Housing and Consumer Law clinic at the David A. Clarke School of Law in Washington DC.

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and her law degree from Clarke receiving several awards for academic achievement at both institutions. Clarke is repeatedly recognized as one of the top law schools in the country for promoting diversity, advancing social justice, and educating attorneys to pursue careers in public service. Her academic achievements, record of public service, and sincere commitment to helping the citizens of Kentucky protect their human and civil rights made her an excellent choice to assist the commission legal unit in fulfilling its objectives.

“We welcome Ms. Robben to our staff as we strive to protect people from discrimination in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said John J. Johnson, executive director of the commission. “Her contribution will be important as we continue to tackle significant caseloads with our small staff,” he said. The commission filed 333 discrimination complaints for people in the 2011 reporting period, which ended June 30, 2011.

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is the state government agency that enforces the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and the U.S. Civil Rights Act. These laws make discrimination illegal.

The Kentucky Civil Rights Act protects people from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, familial status, and tobacco-smoking status. The protections apply with varying stipulations to the jurisdictions of public accommodations, employment, housing and financial transactions.

For more information, contact the commission at 1.800.292.5566. Visit the website at www.kchr.ky.gov.

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