Overview
Judith E. Leonard is a Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. Prior to her current position, Judith served as general counsel of the from 2009 to 2023. She also served as the Smithsonian secretary鈥檚 designated representative to the Wilson Center Board of Trustees, providing legal advice to the .
Priviously, she was vice president and general counsel for the University of Arizona from 1998 to 2009 and general counsel of the in the Executive Office of the President from 1997 to 1998.
Leonard was an attorney for the U.S. Department of Education, an assistant attorney general in Arizona, and an associate university counsel for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her tenure at the University of Arizona, she taught higher education law. At the University of North Carolina, she鈥痩ectured in the schools of medicine, nursing, public health, dentistry, pharmacy, and business.
She is among the distinguished women leaders serving on the Widener Global Leaders Program advisory board at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 W. Frank Barton School of Business.鈥疭he currently serves as a鈥痬ember of the Board of Trustees of the , a鈥痭onprofit organization committed to advancing equitable education policies that elevate learning for low-income students and students of color in the southern states.鈥��
Leonard was elected to membership in the American Law Institute in 2014 and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Leonard鈥痵erved on the American Bar Association鈥檚 Legal Education Accreditation Committee from 2014 to 2018, chairing its compliance committee. She is a member of the board of visitors for the University of Arizona College of Law, where she received a distinguished honorary alumna award.鈥� She is鈥痑lso鈥痑 member of the District of Columbia chapter of the and of the Women鈥檚 Advisory Board of . Leonard received her master鈥檚 and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of Cornell University.鈥�