Edward was born and reared in southwest Houston where he was a student in the Houston Independent School District for all of his primary and secondary education. For his undergraduate matriculation, Edward attended Morehouse College, the prestigious all male private college in Atlanta, Georgia. He accepted a scholarship to play basketball for Morehouse and during his tenure he earned the distinction of NCAA Academic All-American. In addition to his academics and athletics, Edward also took advantage of an opportunity to intern at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office. He graduated from Morehouse with honors earning a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law.
After college, Edward played professional basketball overseas in the Republic of Singapore and in Chile, South America. He is always appreciative of his overseas experience because it allowed him an opportunity to gain a broader perspective of global issues and a deeper appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities the United States offers. However, he realized early on in his career that basketball was not the path intended for him and instead, he decided to pursue his life-long goal of becoming an attorney. He returned to Houston and attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law through a grant he received due to his fathers honorable service as a Marine in the Vietnam War. While at Thurgood, Edward had the honor of being the personal legal clerk to the Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, the only law student that summer to work in the Executive Division. He was later selected by then State Senator Rodney Ellis to participate in the Texas Legislative Internship Program in Austin, Texas, where he was a Legislative Aide for State Representative Dawnna Dukes during the 82nd Legislative Session. In 2012, Edward attained his Juris Doctorate from Thurgood, graduating with honors with a certificate in Government and Policy. Edward subsequently completed course work through Harvard Business School to earn his certificate in Negotiation Mastery.
Business History
After passing the bar on his first attempt, Edward began practicing at the Harris Law Firm, a boutique firm in the Galleria area where he focused on civil litigation and governmental affairs. In January 2018, Edward opened his own firm in District J, Pollard Legal Group, LLC, where he primarily focuses on personal injury.
In 2014, Edward Co-Founded the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Suits for Success. The program targets teen boys at District J high schools. The students are required to participate in a semester long life skills course where they learn topics not traditionally taught such as: public speaking, etiquette training, personal finance, resume building, interview techniques, and how to tie a tie. After successfully completing the course, students receive a free suit, shirt, and tie for high school graduation and life beyond.
Edward is proud to serve District J, the most diverse community in the United States of America. As a member of city council, Edward serves as the Vice Chair of the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Committee. Edward also serves in a council appointed position to the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC), named Co-Chair of Equity Intelligence Platform, and has received the distinction of Public Servant of the Year from various organizations during each year of office. Edward has successfully led on the creation of the city’s first Food Insecurity Board, created the Police Transparency Dashboard, launched DistrictJJobs.com, and created a new modern approach to community policing, the District J Patrol. Edward remains passionate and committed to representing the constituents of District J and Houstonians all over our great city.
Legacy of Service
Edward’s grandfather is civil rights icon Theodore Judson Jemison (August 1, 1918 – November 15, 2013), better known as Rev. Dr. T. J. Jemison. In 1953, Jemison helped lead the first civil rights boycott of segregated seating in public bus service in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The model was later used in 1955–1956 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama. King later noted Jemison as his mentor in his autobiography.
Along with King, Jemison was one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, and the president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. from 1982 to 1994, the largest African-American religious organization in the world. Edward has always admired the courage and leadership his grandfather displayed. It is his grandfather’s influence that has driven his passion to serve others and Edward remains astonished that he and Dr. King were blessed to have the same mentor.
#togetherwewill MOVE HOUSTON FORWARD