Patricia Nation has joined the Department of Homeland Security as the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
Prior to her appointment, Nation was Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). While at DOJ she served on the AbilityOne Commission, which strives to reduce the unacceptably high percentage of Americans with disabilities who do not have jobs. She also served as a delegate to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Presidential Initiative.
Before her time with DOJ, Nation, per appointment by the Governor of Arkansas, served as Deputy Counsel in the Office of Civil Rights and Employee Relations at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. She was also appointed to the Specialty Court Task Force of Arkansas to Reduce Jail Recidivism in the Prison Population.
Nation served as a civil rights trial and appellate advocate in the private sector for more than 20 years, where she changed the way Arkansas state prisons administered antipsychotic drugs to mentally challenged inmates. Her practice focused on employment discrimination; Americans with Disabilities Act, gender, and race-based discrimination; prison litigation; criminal defense; and juvenile proceedings. She also represented Arkansas workers with discrimination claims before the Arkansas Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Nation is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she earned both her bachelor’s and law degrees.
