Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, Tallahassee

Executive Director, Legal Services of North Florida

When her family moved from Maryland to North Carolina, Leslie Powell-Boudreaux’s parents sat her down and explained that she would be attending a desegregated school. They wanted to prepare her for what that might mean.

“I remember wondering, ‘Why is that different?’” she said. “‘Why is it meaningful that suddenly there’re black kids in my school? I don’t understand.’ I don’t think I ever got a good explanation because I don’t think anybody had one.”

Much of Powell-Boudreaux’s life and career have centered around questions of equity and justice.

As the executive director of Legal Services of North Florida, Powell-Boudreaux leads an organization that provides consultation and representation to low-income and vulnerable people in civil court cases.

She has served as board president for United Partners for Human Services and vice president and president of the Florida Civil Legal Aid Association. She was appointed to the Florida Courts Technology Commission and the Judicial Management Committee’s Access to Justice Workgroup by the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court and to the Voluntary Bar Liaison Committee of the Florida Bar.

“I can’t think of anything more important than that we as individuals feel like we have a safe and fair place to go and have our matters heard,” Powell-Boudreaux said. “Whether it’s being accused of a crime, being sued by someone or actually filing a lawsuit against someone, making sure that we feel like those processes are fair and equitable is absolutely critical to the functioning of our society.”

Powell-Boudreaux has worked in various roles, advocating for victims of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, children in foster care, victims of domestic violence, people affected by natural disasters, disabled persons and many others.

During her tenure as executive director at Legal Services, Powell-Boudreaux has worked to build relationships with partner organizations, particularly those involved in disaster relief, and has worked to mitigate the impact of technology in the courts on people who wish to represent themselves. Both of these issues, Powell-Boudreaux explains, impact people’s ability to access the justice system in a meaningful way.

One of Powell-Boudreaux’s proudest career moments came when Legal Services of North Florida was named Partner Agency of the Year by the United Way of Escambia County in 2015 and 2017. Powell-Boudreaux received the Community Service Award from the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association in 2015.

Leslie Powell-Boudreaux was nominated for the 2024 Pinnacle Awards by Charlotte Waters, Director of Communications, Legal Services of North Florida.

Videography by The Workmans