ATL Standard

Mayor Andre Dickens announced the appointment of Pierce Hand Seitz to the City of Atlanta Municipal Court. Mr. Seitz joins the Municipal Court after most recently serving as the Co-Director, Safe & Stable Homes Project for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

“Pierce Hand Seitz is a respected attorney with a track record of safeguarding fundamental dignities such as tenants' rights and access to quality housing,” said Mayor Dickens. “As a former APS educator and resident of Peoplestown who is fluent in Spanish, he brings a nuanced understanding of the significance of community and equitable legal representation. Municipal Court and the people of Atlanta will be well-served by Judge Hand Seitz and I look forward to his leadership.”

“As an Atlanta native, I’m honored to take on this role that will allow me to further serve my city and further my dedication to public service,” said Mr. Seitz. “Accepting this appointment is not merely a duty; it's a solemn pledge to champion the values of our community, to serve with integrity, and to strive relentlessly for the betterment of all."

Mr. Seitz’s legal career started with him working in the chambers of two federal judges during law school, after which he launched his legal career as a commercial litigation associate at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, representing clients in civil commercial disputes in local, state and federal courts.

Following his passion for public service, he joined the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office as a Senior Assistant District Attorney where he reviewed, investigated, indicted and prosecuted complex felony criminal cases through jury trials.

Mr. Seitz also spent a significant portion of his legal career in the nonprofit sector, serving initially as a housing staff attorney and later as Co-Director of the Safe & Stable Homes Project at Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. In these roles, he gained a wealth of bench trial experience in civil housing litigation, and he supervised and managed staff to provide free legal representation for hundreds of Atlantans who could not afford an attorney.

As an accomplished attorney, Mr. Seitz has published multiple legal articles in legal journals and publications, including most recently the Atlanta Lawyer. He also has been and continues to be an active member of the legal community and various professional, civic, and social organizations. He serves as Vice President of the Gate City Bar Association and was appointed to the Atlanta Bar Association’s Board of Directors. He is a member of the Logan E. Bleckley Inn of Court, an alum of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2022, a former member of the Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, and a member of the Emory University Alumni Board.

Mr. Seitz is a product of Atlanta Public Schools, having graduated from the historic Booker T. Washington High School. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Emory University and his Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College of Law.