Bradley E. Heard is an attorney and nonprofit leader with nearly three decades of legal experience, including more than twenty years focused on civil rights and voting rights. He currently serves as Deputy Legal Director of the Voting Rights Advocacy and Litigation Impact Team at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where he works to protect fair access to the ballot and strengthen democratic participation.
Earlier in his career, Brad was a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, where he litigated cases enforcing federal voting rights law.
Brad also serves as the founder and president of Greater Capitol Heights Improvement Corporation (GCHIC), a community-based organization working to strengthen inner-Beltway neighborhoods in central Prince George’s County, Maryland, through policy advocacy, planning, and engagement.
He has written and spoken on issues including equitable development, smart growth, and community-centered planning, and remains active in civic leadership efforts in his community.
Brad graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse College and earned his J.D. from Yale Law School. He is also a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and seeks to live out its motto in his daily walk: “First of all, servants of all, we shall transcend all.”
Brad lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and in addition to advocating for rights and community, he enjoys good coffee, good food, good theater, and thoughtful conversation.