Ritha Pierre

Ritha Pierre is an attorney with 14 years of experience in employment law, labor relations, nonprofit governance, and other nonprofit legal matters. She advises nonprofit organizations on workplace policies, internal investigations, discipline and termination, severance, accommodations, and collective bargaining, as well as board governance and emerging issues such as the use of artificial intelligence. Ritha’s in-house experience allows her to turn complex legal issues into practical solutions that fit each client’s mission, culture, and budget.

Prior to joining TLG, Ritha served as General Counsel at Race Forward, a national racial justice nonprofit operating as a dual 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization. As sole in-house counsel, she oversaw legal, human resources, risk management, and compliance, served as attorney to the board of directors, and managed labor relations, including collective bargaining.

Before Race Forward, Ritha served as General Counsel at RiseBoro Community Partnership, a New York City community development and human services nonprofit, where she rose from Associate General Counsel to lead the organization’s legal function.

Ritha also brings labor and employment experience from both the management and union sides. She served as Associate Labor Counsel and Director of Human Resources at Highgate, a hospitality management company, and as Associate General Counsel at SEIU Local 32BJ, one of the largest property service unions in the country.

Ritha began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York.

Ritha is committed to supporting her community and the nonprofits that serve it. She serves on the boards of Morris Heights Health Center, Propelled Media Mentorship Program, and the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York, where she is a former President. Ritha also founded and led a national migrant relief coalition that connected newly arrived migrants with legal, housing, employment, and human services support.

Ritha’s employment and labor expertise and in-house nonprofit legal experience make her a practical, trusted advisor to nonprofit clients.

Education

• M.S., Bioethics, Columbia University, 2015
• J.D., Fordham University School of Law, 2011
• B.A., Government and Politics, cum laude, St. John’s University, 2006

Bar Admissions

• New York
• New Jersey
• District of Columbia (admission pending)

• 2025-26, General Counsel, Race Forward, New York, NY
• 2024-25, General Counsel, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Brooklyn, NY
• 2023-24, Interim General Counsel, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Brooklyn, NY
• 2021-23, Deputy General Counsel, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Brooklyn, NY
• 2020-21, Associate General Counsel, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Brooklyn, NY
• 2019-20, Associate Labor Counsel and Director of Human Resources, Highgate Hotels, New York, NY
• 2016-19, Associate General Counsel, SEIU Local 32BJ, New York, NY
• 2013-16, Assistant District Attorney, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Brooklyn, NY

June 17, 2023
Know Your Rights: Religious Liberty (Religious Accommodations in Union and Non-Union Workplaces), Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church, Brooklyn, NY

July 22, 2020
Black Workers Matter: The Employee Guide, NEC Franco-Haitian Youth Federation Young Adult Ministries (Facebook Live)

June 11, 2020
Law and Domestic Violence: Know Your Rights, Haitian American Caucus and Flatbush Development Corporation, HAC-TV (Livestream)

February 5, 2018
How to Navigate the Workplace as a Woman of Color, The LIT Network Panel Series, New York, NY

April 17, 2016
Free Attorney Panel for Our Community (Employment and Labor Law; Know Your Rights in the Workplace), Haitian American Caucus, Brooklyn, NY

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