Leonard O. (“Pete”) Fletcher, Jr. was raised in Augusta, Georgia, attended public school in Richmond County, and is a 1962 graduate of ARC. While at ARC, he was the G-2 in the ROTC Corp, a member of Student Council, a member of the Gold “R” Society and was selected to Who’s Who in High Schools of America. He attended Augusta Junior College, where he received the award for Highest Academic Achievement, before transferring to Mercer University, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He then attended the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, where he served on the editorial board of the Mercer Law Review. He graduated with honors in 1969. He was inducted into the Blue Key Honor Society and selected to the Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities of America.

Mr. Fletcher has been in private law practice since graduation and is now the Senior Partner of Fletcher, Harley & Fletcher, the law firm he cofounded in 1989. He is a member of the Augusta Bar Association and served as its President in 1987. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Georgia School Board Association of Attorneys, and the National Association of School Board Attorneys. Mr. Fletcher has served on the GSBA Executive Council of school board attorneys for approximately eighteen years and was its President for three years.

Mr. Fletcher has served as Board Counsel for the Richmond County Board of Education for over 46 years and has represented the Columbia County Board of Education for selected legal matters since 1989 and as Board Counsel since 2007. Throughout his years as counsel for local boards of education, as well as other clients, he has had the opportunity to handle a wide range of matters, including: an appearance before the Supreme Court of the United States, litigation in State and Federal Courts defending employment issues, discrimination, wage-hour claims, alleged violations of constitutional rights (including the First and Fourteenth Amendments), defenses of class action lawsuits, special education matters, and the desegregation case for the Board of Education of Richmond County. He presented the arguments and evidence to the Federal District Court to have the Richmond County School System obtain unitary status in 2013. He has handled numerous SPLOST matters, bond issues and bond refund projects. He has served as a member of the Richmond County Board of Education Policy Committee overseeing 195 projects and approximately $600 million in construction projects since 1996.

Mr. Fletcher has been instrumental in drafting legislation concerning education laws in the State of Georgia to include statutes regarding Public Safety (legislation authorizing school public safety officers and later legislation to allow them to become P.O.S.T.-certified police officers and carry weapons) and Bond Refunding (legislation to allow school districts to refund bond indebtedness). He has drafted numerous policies and procedures for boards and agencies. He is considered an expert in government and education law, both on a State and National level at the moment, and has prepared and presented over fifty learned papers and training talks to the Georgia 9 School Boards Association (GSBA) and attorneys of GSBA, as well as conducted numerous training seminars for board of education administrators and employees.

Mr. Fletcher was an adjunct professor at Augusta University (formerly Augusta College) for  fourteen years, where he taught masters-level educational law classes to present and future school administrators. He continues to serve as a guest speaker for various professors at Augusta University. He also served for ten years as a Citizen Representative and Volunteer Legal Adviser to the Human Assurance Committee of the Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University Health).

Mr. Fletcher married an ARC graduate, Kay Pond, and they have two adult children and three grandchildren. His wife is a retired elementary teacher, and his son and daughter-in-law both teach in the Richmond County School System. His daughter is also an attorney in his firm and assists with representing both school boards.

 He has served as President of the Augusta Junior Rowing Association and as both the Director and President of the Augusta Rowing Club. When he has spare time on his hands, he enjoys cooking, hanging out with the grandchildren and breaking out his rhythm guitar.