Raymond Pierce, Esq. Dean of NCCU Law School

Raymond C. Pierce named Dean in 2005, joined the North Carolina Central University family following a successful career with the national law firm of Baker & Hostetler LLP. As a partner in the firm's office in Cleveland, Ohio, Pierce's legal practice concentrated in business transactions and public policy. In addition, he represented state governments in higher education and pension investment-related matters and was also a member of the law firm's Federal Policy Group based in Washington D.C. where he assisted clients with government-related issues. Prior to joining Baker & Hostetler, Pierce was a candidate for mayor of Cleveland.

From 1993 to 2000, Pierce served as President Bill Clinton's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. While deputy assistant secretary, Pierce managed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws in education and the development of federal civil rights education policy. Pierce led the development of the Clinton Administration's federal education and civil rights policy in response to the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Ayers v Fordice, 505 U.S. 717 (1992) which addressed equal protection in higher education opportunities for African-American students and the impact of state policies on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Following the publishing of the Fordice Notice, Pierce directed the Department of Education's national higher education desegregation docket and negotiated resolution agreements with six states resulting in increased funding and enhanced educational programming for HBCUs. Through these efforts, Pierce was the commencement speaker at graduation ceremonies for five HBCUs on behalf of the Clinton Administration. He also served on committees with the White House Domestic Policy Council where he assisted in the development of federal urban economic development initiatives. Under Pierce's leadership, his agency received three Vice-President Awards for improving operations in the federal government. During his service with the federal government, Pierce was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education to serve on three Senior Executive Service Appointment Boards. Pierce has lectured extensively on the subject of civil rights and education and served on numerous panels and task forces.

Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Pierce was employed by the LTV Corporation from 1986-1993, beginning as a Labor Relations Counselor and later serving as an attorney in that company's Corporate Law Department. While in the Corporate Law Department at LTV, Pierce was a commercial transactions attorney primarily involved with the transportation section for railroads, waterways and trucking.

Pierce began his legal career in 1984 as a civil rights attorney with the John W. Walker Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas where he concentrated on class action employment discrimination cases. He is also a past Chairman of the Education Committee of the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP. Pierce is the recipient of numerous awards including the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund National Leadership Award, an NAACP National Service Award, the Case Western Reserve University School of Law Distinguished Graduate Award and in September 2005 Pierce was inducted into his law school alma mater's Society of Benchers. .

Pierce received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1983 and his bachelor's degree in 1980 from Syracuse University where he was admitted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honorary Society. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and Arkansas.