Councilmember Lesli Harris is a dedicated advocate, attorney, and community leader committed to justice, housing equity, and preserving New Orleans’ culture. As a student at  Tulane Law, she began her career representing children in need through Tulane’s Juvenile Law Clinic. She spent 16 years at Stone Pigman, becoming the firm’s second Black woman partner and specializing in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients like the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. She also fought for marriage equality, representing the Forum for Equality and same sex couples in the case that helped overturn Louisiana’s anti-gay marriage laws.

Before joining the City Council, Lesli served as Chief of Staff to Loyola University’s first woman president, where she played a key role in stabilizing the university’s finances and leading its COVID-19 response, drafting policies to protect students, faculty, and staff.

On the Council, she has championed quality of life, public safety, justice, and housing initiatives, securing funding to eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits and working to reopen the city’s DNA lab earning her the Champion of Change award from STAR (Sexual Trama Awareness and Response). She has been a leading advocate for affordable housing, receiving an award from The First 72+ for her work securing stable housing for formerly incarcerated individuals and the Mondale Brooke Award from the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center for her leadership on the Housing Trust Fund. Her advocacy for the Housing Trust Fund has ensured millions in dedicated City funding for housing assistance, homeownership programs, and rental support.

Lesli remains deeply engaged in the community, serving on the boards of the New Orleans Children and Youth Planning Board, the New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Fund, Louisiana Museum Foundation and the Sanford "Sandy" Krasnoff Criminal Justice Council. A proud resident of Central City, Lesli is committed to fighting for a safer, equitable, and more vibrant New Orleans.

Committees

• Climate Change and Sustainability Committee
• Community Development Committee
• Criminal Justice Committee
• Economic Development and Special Development Projects Committee
• Governmental Affairs Committee
• New Orleans City Council
• Orleans Parish Board of Review
• Public Works, Sanitation and Environment Committee
• Quality of Life Committee (Chair)
• Transportation and Airport Committee
• Utility, Cable, Telecommunications and Technology Committee

Staff

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