Professional Background
Judge Leonard presently serves as the Chief Judge for the Cobb Judicial Circuit and presides over the Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court. He has served the citizens of Cobb County since his appointment to the bench in December of 2010. Through his service on the benches of both the State & Superior Courts of Cobb County, he has the unusual distinction of having been appointed by two different Governors and elected three times.
Judge Leonard obtained his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Kentucky in 1997 and his J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2000.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Leonard maintained his Marietta law practice that he established in 2000, where he employed 11 people practicing primarily in criminal law and civil litigation. He practiced, primarily in Cobb County, but traveled all over Georgia, making almost daily court appearances during his years in practice. This led him to appear in front of approximately 100 different Judges in both the state and federal courts and has played a vital role in how Judge Leonard treats people and runs his courtroom.
As a member of the Council of Superior Court Judges, Judge Leonard serves on the following committees: Pattern Jury Instructions, Uniform Rules, Court Security, and Court Technology. He also Chairs the Automated Data Collection and Case Management Standards Subcommittee. He also serves as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Judicial Workload Assessment for the Judicial Council of Georgia.
Bar Activities
Judge Leonard has been involved in many activities within the Georgia Bar Association and Cobb County Bar Association, including:
- Chairman, Standing Committee on Judicial Workload Assessment
- Chairman, Technology Committee of COVID-19 Taskforce
- Member, Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law Inn of Court
- Chairman, Cobb Bar Association’s Bench & Bar Committee
- Former President and Member, Cobb Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section
- Former Vice-President, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Former President, Cobb Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section
- Former Member, Cobb County Bar Association’s Board of Trustees
- Member, Marietta Lawyers Club
- Member, Atlanta Lawyers Club
Judge Leonard also recognizes the importance of helping young people with interest in the legal profession. He is active in both high school and collegiate mock trial competitions as both an evaluator and a presiding Judge.
Awards and Recognition
Recently, Judge Leonard was presented with the Thomas J. Charron Public Service Award. In 2021 Judge Leonard was honored with the “Distinguished Judicial Service Award” from the State Bar of Georgia’s YLD. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Leonard was recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star for three consecutive years, from 2009 to 2011. He was the 2006 recipient of the Cobb Bar Association’s Ross Adams Award. In 2009, he received the “Greatest Trial Victory of the Year” award. In 2013, Judge Leonard was featured in Cobb Life Magazine’s “Top 20 under 40” publication. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the Daily Report’s “On The Rise,” an award honoring the top 40 lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40. In 2018, he was presented with the President’s Award for his work with the Bench and Bar Committee by past Cobb Bar President, Judge Kimberly Childs. In 2020 he received the prestigious Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service. In 2021 he recognized by GACDL with the President’s Award for helping to modernize courts with technology in an effort to keep people safe during the pandemic.
Judge Leonard is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education courses for judges, lawyers and paralegals on subjects ranging from technology, family law, criminal law, evidence, ethics and professionalism. Judge Leonard enjoys speaking to young lawyers about the importance of integrity and professionalism in the practice of law. He has lectured on professionalism as a keynote speaker for incoming law students as part of the Chief Justice’s Committee on Professionalism. He has also taught classes on criminal law and ethics at Emory University School of Law and Kennesaw State University.
Civic Involvement
Judge Leonard has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Tommy Nobis Center, a non-profit organization that provides job training and placement for people with disabilities. Judge Leonard was selected to participate in the 2022 Honorary Commanders class. He is also involved in the Chamber of Commerce and is an alumnus of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2013. Judge Leonard has served as a mentor with Marietta Mentoring for Leadership. He is also a former member of the Marietta Kiwanis Club and has volunteered his time at numerous local non-profit organizations such as the Calvary Children’s Home, American Cancer Society, and MUST Ministries. He speaks to local youth groups and schools about the impact of how these young people’s choices today will impact them for the entirety of their lives and making responsible choices on social media. He also invites school groups and Girl and Boy Scout troops to the courthouse to conduct mock trials and learn about the court system.
Personal
He enjoys the the outdoors and spending time his wife, three children, and their crazy black labs.