Taonga Leslie

Director of Policy and Program for Racial Justice

Taonga Leslie (he/him), joined ACS in January 2023 as Director of Policy and Program for Racial Justice. In this role, he works with ACS’ members, stakeholders, and partners to advance a more racially just and equitable future.

Before joining ACS, Taonga was a senior consultant with Public Equity Group, a boutique consulting firm that helps nonprofits, foundations and other social impact groups develop strategic plans to advance racial and economic justice. Prior to consulting, he was an associate with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he investigated violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Latin America and represented a diverse portfolio of pro bono clients, including asylum seekers, survivors of domestic violence, nonprofit arts organizations, and police accountability groups.

Other past professional experiences include supporting efforts to reduce youth incarceration and advance alternative justice models at Impact Justice, and internships with Equal Justice Initiative and the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Taonga is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he served as a Coker Fellow, and of Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology.

 

podcast

Episode 157: The Case for Court Reform

September 17, 2024

 

ExpertForum Blog

Law and the Movement for Reparations

Taonga Leslie March 12, 2024

 

podcast

Episode 142: Radical Reparations

February 22, 2024

 

ExpertForum Blog

Beyond Diversity - SFFA's Silver Lining

Taonga Leslie September 20, 2023

 

ExpertForum Blog

Frederick Douglass Was My Founding Father

Taonga Leslie February 14, 2023

event

The Future of Diversity in Law

October 31, 2023