BRIAN PIERCE, J.D.
VICE-CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brian Pierce has a unique combination of education and lived experience that make him an invaluable member of the Board of Directors at the Florida Justice Center.
As an adopted, gifted child, Brian found it difficult to fit in. By the time he was 14, he was incarcerated in the Minnesota Correctional Facility Red Wing... the end of the line for juveniles in Minnesota. After returning four more times for parole violations, Brian soon found himself in prison serving 38 months for burglary and theft-related charges. In prison, Brian had the opportunity to take some college classes and did exceptionally well. After being released, however, he quickly found himself on the way back to prison for possession of a controlled substance. After being released the second time Brian jumped parole and fell in love with a woman with two young children and a serious drug problem. After being banished from the State of Georgia instead of being sentenced to life on the chain gang as a habitual offender, Brian and his new wife returned to Minnesota.
After receiving his bachelor's degree magna cum laude in 1994 and his Juris Doctorate cum laude in 1997 from the University of Minnesota, Brian clerked for the Minnesota Court of Appeals for two terms before becoming an Assistant County Attorney in rural Minnesota. He went on to work as a criminal defense attorney and was awarded the Minnesota Public Defenders Outstanding Young Lawyer award in 2001. In 2002 he was selected as a Rising Star of Minnesota Law by Minnesota Law & Politics and the future looked bright for Brian.
But after a traumatic, personal tragedy, Brian relapsed and soon found himself incarcerated in the State of Nevada. After being released in 2011, Brian moved to Southern Missouri to be near his elderly parents. For the last ten years Brian has worked for a solo practitioner in Southern Missouri performing legal research, writing, and trial assistance. He also owns and operates Minnesota Consulting, LLC, which provides criminal justice consulting services including sentencing mitigation proposals, prison consulting services, and other related services to criminal defense attorneys, criminal justice organization, and media outlets.
In 2018, Brian was named an "Unsung Hero" of Missouri Law by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. In his spare time, Brian enjoys flying drones, motorcycling, and spending time with family and friends.
