Brenda Ford Harding
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Brenda Ford Harding has served as Executive Director since February 2003. In addition to ensuring that the organization continues to build upon the legacy established over the years of providing quality legal representation to D.C. residents, she is responsible for the overall management and development of the Neighborhood Legal Services Program’s commitment to remain at the forefront of public interest advocacy. Brenda received a B.A. in Biology from Boston University and received her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation from law school, she was the recipient of the Reginald Hebert Smith Community Law Fellowship at the North Central Legal Assistance Program in Durham, North Carolina. From 1980 to 1984, Brenda was the Managing Attorney at Eastern Carolina Legal Services. Between 1984 and 1986, she also served as Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project. At the same time, she was Adjunct Professor and Acting Director of the Civil Litigation Clinic at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Following this, Brenda served as the Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, where she represented the Commission as the Chief Administrative Law Judge and directed the work of a large staff in executing the unemployment insurance appeal and adjudication program. From 1987 until 2000, she worked as the Executive Director of North State Legal Services, where she worked with the Board of Directors in providing overall direction, management and operation of the program, while also maintaining her own caseload and supervised complex cases. Upon moving to the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, she became the Deputy Director for Legal Programs at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, working as part of the executive management team and assisted in the development of programmatic goals, objectives, procedures, policies and work standards. She managed and assisted in the development of the Civil Rights Legal Resource Center and served on the Welfare Reform Task Force. Brenda’s passion is the pursuit of “justice for all”. Her career has focused on obtaining rights for vulnerable populations. She has a “soft spot” for the elderly and children. Brenda views education as one of the vehicles to “conquer poverty” and has helped numerous persons obtain admission to college and law school. Brenda is married to Robert Harding and is the mother of three children: Jasmine McGhee (a fellow attorney), Robert, Jr. (IT professional), and Sherise Harding (a college student). Over the years, Brenda has received recognition for her work and has devoted much time and energy to community service activities. She was named Outstanding Chair, Project Director Group, Legal Services of North Carolina and Outstanding Woman Attorney by the NC Association of Women Attorneys, Outstanding Attorney by the North Carolina Central School of Law Women in Law, and Outstanding Citizen and Former Member by both the Durham Human Relations Commission and the Citizens of Moore County, NC. Memberships and Community Service
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