Georgetown Law

A.B., Holy Cross College; J.D., cum laude, Suffolk University Law School; LL.M., Harvard Law School. Professor Leon is a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a partner in the Washington office of Baker & Hostetler LLP (1989-1999) and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP (1999-2002). In private practice, Professor Leon specialized in representing individuals and corporations under investigation by either the U.S. Department of Justice, the Congress, or both. Prior to and while in private practice, Professor Leon served as counsel to Congress in the investigations of three sitting Presidents. In 1987, he was the Deputy Chief Minority Counsel to the U.S. House Select “Iran-Contra” Committee. From 1992-1993, he was the Chief Minority Counsel to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s “October Surprise” Task Force. In 1994, Professor Leon was Special Counsel to the U.S. House Banking Committee for its “Whitewater” investigation. He also served in 1997 as Special Counsel to the bipartisan U.S. House Ethics Reform Task Force. Earlier in his career, Professor Leon served at the U.S. Department of Justice in a number of positions including the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment Division, Senior Trial Attorney in the Criminal Section of the Tax Division, and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Professor Leon also was a full time law professor at St. John’s University Law School from 1979-1983. He has co-taught Congressional Investigations with Professor Podesta since 1997.