Melissa Marichal Zayas

Melissa Marichal Zayas serves as Bolder Advocacy Counsel at Alliance for Justice. In this role, she helps nonprofit organizations expand their capacity to pursue their policy goals by educating them on the state and federal rules governing advocacy and election-related activities.

Prior to joining AFJ, she served as an attorney at ChangeLab Solutions, where she worked with public health professionals, community organizations, and local government officials to address the social determinants of health through equity-centered law and policy change.

Melissa began her legal career working to advance housing security and equal access to safe and stable housing through policy advocacy, education, and direct representation of tenants, first as a legal fellow at New Haven Legal Assistance Association and later as a staff attorney at the Connecticut Fair Housing Center.

Melissa earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and her B.A. from Columbia University.