There has been a significant change in CAIR-Philadelphia’s Legal Department.
Ryan Tack-Hooper, CAIR-Philadelphia’s Staff Attorney since January 2014, has taken a position at the American Civil Liberties Union office in Wilmington, Delaware. CAIR-Philadelphia thanks Ryan for his great contributions to CAIR, and wishes him all the best in his new position.
Our new Staff Attorney is Ryan Houldin. Ryan brings to CAIR-Philadelphia a deep commitment and passion for securing justice for marginalized communities. Upon graduation from Temple Law School, Ryan worked as an Assistant Defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, one of the nation’s leading Public Defender offices. In 1963, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark decision, unanimously ruling that the U.S. Constitution mandates the right to counsel for indigent clients in criminal cases. As a result, public defender offices began forming around the country to afford due process of law for impoverished populations.
As a trial attorney for one of the nation’s largest Public Defender offices, Ryan became proficient in trial advocacy skills through zealously advocating for thousands of clients. Ryan litigated hundreds of cases in an effort to combat the institutionalized racism that permeates the criminal justice system in the United States. While listening to each client’s story and learning about the countless civil liberty violations suffered by his clients, Ryan engaged in legal work that sought vindication for civil liberty and civil rights violations, as well as promoting meaningful policy change.
More recently, Ryan started his own law firm where he represented individuals who were victims of police and prison misconduct.
On assuming his new position, Ryan said, “I would like to thank CAIR-Philadelphia for giving me the opportunity to continue my passion and dedication to fight for equality and justice for vulnerable populations, and I look forward to working with the Muslim community to further CAIR’s important mission of protecting civil liberties and enhancing the understanding of Islam.”
