He served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps during the Korean War.

He then took a position with Altheimer, Gray, Naiburg, Strasburger & Lawton where he would remain for the remainder of his legal career.

[1][2] In an unusual election, Pierce ran on a statewide ballot after the Illinois Supreme Court ordered an at large election for all 177 members of the Illinois House; the result of partisan gridlock preventing the completion of the decennial reapportionment process.

[3] After a 1965 Illinois Supreme Court Case to resolve the redistricting issue, Pierce's Highland Park home was drawn into the 32nd district which consisted of Algonquin, Dorr, Grafton, and Nunda townships in McHenry County and Cuba, Deerfield, Ela, Fremont, Libertyville, Shields, Vernon, Wauconda and West Deerfield townships in Lake County.

His role in this organization earned him a nominal spot on the leadership team of then-Minority Leader Clyde L.

[9][2] Pierce was later the President of the North Shore Water Reclamation District, a position he served in for over a decade.