Staff Attorney Pierce Hand Joins LEAD Atlanta Class of 2021

ASHLEIGH STARNES | JUNE 25, 2020


This intensive seven month program helps young leaders in Atlanta build the skills and connections they need to make a difference.

Please join us in congratulating our Staff Attorney Pierce hand in joining LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2021!

This intensive leadership development program seeks to “equip young leaders early in their careers with the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective leader committed to the common good.”

Pierce and his fellow class members will participate in immersive workshops, hone their leadership skills, and build connections to other young leaders in Atlanta who are paving the way for a fairer and more equitable city.

Pierce is an Atlanta native who is passionate about tackling serious issues that affect low-income communities in Atlanta, including housing instability and educational inequity.


Pierce is an Atlanta native who is passionate about tackling serious issues that affect low-income communities in Atlanta, including housing instability and educational inequity. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta Public Schools, and obtained his B.A. in Spanish from Emory University. After attending college, he worked as a high school teacher at Benjamin E. Mays High School as a Teach for America corps member. 

Pierce attended Georgia State University College of Law before working at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP as a litigator for three years. Now he works as a Staff Attorney for our Standing with Our Neighbors program – a place-based initiative that provides low-income tenants with free legal advocacy in times of greatest need.

We’re proud to have Pierce on our team, and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes through LEAD Atlanta.


Every little bit helps. Become a monthly sustainer of our organization, or make a one-time donation. We can’t do this work without you.


Ashleigh Starnes

Communications Manager

As AVLF’s Communications Manager, Ashleigh develops strategy, design, and content for AVLF’s digital and print communications. She’s deeply committed to sharing resources and education with her community at large – and makes it her mission to support AVLF’s programs and outreach in all they do.

Ashleigh is an Atlanta native. Before joining AVLF, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey. Ashleigh holds a Bachelor’s in English and Linguistics from the University of Georgia. She is also a performance artist, and can occasionally be seen performing movement pieces, poetry, and combinations of the two around Atlanta and beyond.

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