User:Mecmarketing/Mark Pollard

Mark Pollard is a lawyer, former District Attorney and college professor. Born in Brooklyn, he distinguished himself by fighting for the rights of people. As a lawyer,(1)he served as Assistant District Attorney (2) in Kings County District Attorney’s Office and a Felony trial attorney. Supervisor in the Criminal Courts Bureau.

As an Assistant Professor of law at City University of New York Medgar Evers College, he was a instrumental in getting neighborhood youths enrolled and mentored in college. A member of Bedford Stuyvesant’s Community Board 3, he is running for the seat of the New York State Senate’s 18th District representing Bedford Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill/Brownsville, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Red Hook, Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope and a part of Sunset Park.

Mark's father, Henry Pollard, emigrated from Alabama to Bedford Stuyvesant as a young man. A tough Marine, he often worked seven days a week, two full-time jobs to support his family when Mark was growing up. He is the oldest of three boys. His mother Loretta Pollard, came from a family of activists. Her grandfather was a state senator in South Carolina during Reconstruction. Always active in her children’s education she had two main goals for her sons. The first was to make sure they graduated from college and second was that they gave back to the community.

Mark succeeded and proudly was entirely educated in the public school system from elementary school to high school, and then the State University of New York at Purchase College and State University of New York at Buffalo law school. He also succeeded in living a life of leadership and community activism, fighting for the underdog, and having the courage to speak out against injustice.

He is widely sought as a speaker on political and community justice and has made several contributions that have benefited the community. In the fall of 2004, he served as the Moderator, American Democracy Project Debate: "The Incarceration of the Black Male; Justice Served or Justice Denied?" He created the fact pattern for, co-coordinated and taught the Mock Trial Program, and served as the judge for the actual mock trials in the spring of 2004 and fall of 2005. He was the Medgar Evers College Faculty co-coordinator of the St. John’s University Law School Pre-Law Prep Program from 2005to 2007. He created the concept for, and moderated the State of Black Politics and Media Speakers Forum as part of the week of activities for Medgar Evers Remembrance Week in June 2005. He was the Faculty Advisor and Coach of the School of Business Debate Team (First place winners)in 2005.

He was host of the Male Development and Education Center’s weekly radio show. In 2006, he was appointed to Medgar President Edison O. Jackson’s Male Task Force and was Faculty Coordinator of the Medgar Evers College Honor Society. He chaired the Medgar Male Development and Empowerment Center Faculty Advisory Committee in 2007. He was a Panelist, Constitution Day, at Medgar Evers College,in 2007. In 2008 he was a panelist at the City University of New York Black Males and the Criminal Justice System seminar and was moderator at the Medgar Department of Academic Affairs Town Hall Meeting, 2008. His professional career includes law partner from 1991 to 2005 at the Law Firm of Pollard and Koenig. As a lawyer he has personally taken to trial over one hundred and thirty felony cases in the state and federal courts; including several high profile media cases. He has also personally handled thousands of criminal cases. Additionally, Pollard has drafted and submitted legal briefs and argued before the New York State Court of Appeals, and United States Court of Appeals. He was also a Supervisor in the Criminal Courts Bureau.

From 2003 to 2004, he was Counsel to Senator Andrews at the New York State Senate where he assisted constituents in legal and community matters and advised the senator on legal and legislative issues. He was General Counsel to the New York City Board of Elections from 1998 to 1999. Prior to that assignment, from 1989 to 1991 he was Counsel to Assemblyman Al Vann in the NYS Assembly. In that position he assisted constituents in legal and community matters. Advised the assemblyman on legal and legislative issues. Served as General Counsel to the New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus.

Mark Pollard has extensive experience as a community leader. He was appointed to the Kings County Judicial Screening Committee in 2000 until 2001. He was Vice President, Vanguard Independent Democratic Association from 1991 to 1993. From 1994 to 1996 he was appointed to the Kings County Democrats Election Law Committee. He served on the Judicial Screening Committee, Vanguard Independent Democratic Association from 2003 to 2005. Since 2006 until today, he is Criminal Justice Committee Chair, N.A.A.C.P, Brooklyn Chapter. In addition, Pollard is a member of Bedford Stuyvesant Community Safety Taskforce; Cornerstone Baptist Church and Brooklyn Congregations Together

Mark Pollard's academic and professional honors include Community Leadership Award, Office of Assemblyman Darryl Towns in 1995; Good Citizenship Award, Boy Scouts of America in 1994 and in 1995, Community Leadership Award, Rosetta Gaston Foundation.

His professional memberships include the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Brooklyn Bar Association, Kings County Criminal Bar Association, the N.A.AC.P and he Executive Bord Member sine 2005 of the New York Clergy Business Summit, Inc.