, Press Release

All Things Judicial Interviews Campbell Law School Dean Rich Leonard

Leonard shares stories from his personal and professional life and expounds on his recent book "From Welcome to Windhoek: A Judge's Journey"

Article contents

In the latest All Things Judicial podcast episode, Campbell School of Law Dean Rich Leonard shares stories from his early life, career, and time spent assisting several African nations improve their systems of justice. Leonard wrote about these stories in his recent book entitled "From Welcome to Windhoek: A Judge's Journey." The interview was conducted by Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Mel Wright whose insightful questions prompted Leonard to expound on lessons-learned, both personally and professionally.

"The message I'm trying to convey is not any greatness in me for goodness sakes," said Leonard on the podcast. "It's just that you persevere, you work as hard as you can, you treat people kindly, you treat people fairly, you outwork everyone, and it often works out."

Dean Rich Leonard has been described as a pioneering judge, a groundbreaking court administrator, a restorer of historic courthouses, and at age 29 the youngest U.S. District Court Clerk in the country. He worked as a special consultant to the U.S. Department of State, where for 20 years he helped developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa create workable court systems. His recent book describes him as a marathon runner, mountain climber, forger of cross-continental friendships, and someone who embraced life in all its majesty and messiness.