Lenny Sharon is a native of Pittsburgh who received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1970. After graduation he was a founding member of a law collective that was committed to offering clients a full range of legal services regardless of their ability to pay. Fees that were collected were then equally distributed among attorneys as well as office staff.

Early on, Sharon became involved in defending and advocating for prisoners, gays and lesbians and political activists. And while his practice has broadened over the years, civil rights, including the Constitutional right of the accused "to have the assistance of counsel for his defense" are at the core.

Early Cases:

In 1971 Sharon brought a lawsuit against Penn State on behalf of a group of gay and lesbian students and their supporters who were seeking official recognition for their organization by the campus. The case was eventually settled.

In 1974, Sharon traveled to South Dakota and volunteered his legal services to the Wounded Knee Legal Defense-Offense Committee for work on cases arising from the siege of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

In 1979 Sharon helped win the acquittal of former PIttsburgh Steeler ,Hubie Bryant, who was charged with theft.

In 1981 Sharon was part of the Boston College point shaving case. Sharon represented Paul Mazzei, who was charged with conspiring to fix college basketball games. The trial involved multiple clients and attorneys and took several weeks to conclude.

In 1982 Sharon defended Clifford Futch "Lumumba" against a murder charge at Western Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. Futch was facing the death penalty for allegedly killing a fellow inmate inside the prison. At a weeklong hearing before trial, Sharon's defense team helped expose the fact that the Allegheny County District Attorney's office had systematicaly excluded African Americans as prospective jurors. Futch was ultimately acquitted.