Leslie Barnes serves as Senior Counsel for the Bolder Advocacy Program at Alliance for Justice. In her role, she provides legal guidance to grant makers and nonprofits on engaging with elected officials, the public, voters, and candidates in a way that furthers their mission, encourages civic engagement and shapes public policy while complying with tax and election laws. She provides technical assistance, creates resources for tax-exempt entities and is available to work with your nonprofit board or staff to present a workshop or webinar on the rules surrounding nonprofit advocacy.
Prior to joining Alliance for Justice in 2018, Leslie spent over a decade advising nonprofits and government officials on election law, campaign finance, governance and compliance issues. Before launching Barnes Legal Group, Leslie served as General Counsel in-house for the State of Indiana. Leslie holds a B.A from Purdue University and a J.D. from Indiana University.