Leon Smith is the Executive Director of Citizens for Juvenile Justice, a statewide, nonprofit organization that advocates for systemic reform that achieves equitable youth justice. A 1995 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio and a 1999 graduate of New England School of Law in Boston, Leon has worked as an attorney for young people since 2001. He started his career as a juvenile court public defender, before starting his own law practice devoted to juvenile and criminal court advocacy in the Massachusetts Juvenile, District and Superior Courts. He then moved on to the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City, working on youth-oriented national public policy issues before moving on and establishing the Racial Justice Project for the Connecticut-based Center for Children’s Advocacy. This project advocated reforms to reduce unnecessary and disproportionate school exclusion and provide legal representation to youth of color subjected to harsh school discipline, juvenile court delinquency matters and unconstitutional targeting by law enforcement. He was also the lead facilitator and co-chair of Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) committees, which addressed disparities in the juvenile justice system in three Connecticut cities. In addition to his leadership of CfJJ since 2019, Leon has been active on a number of key coalitions and working groups in Massachusetts, including the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPAD), the Legislature’s Emerging Adult Justice Task Force and School Resource Officer/Memorandum of Understanding Commission. Attorney Smith has lectured and presented on juvenile justice, criminal justice and education related issues at local and national conferences and at colleges and universities both inside and outside of New England.

Leon is happy to assist Politics & Government majors, as well as Black World Studies Majors in the following ways:

• Speaking with a student virtually or on the phone
• Mentoring a student
• Assisting OWU Alumni (recent Alumni, or Alumni in transition

During his time at OWU, Leon was involved in the following programs: Student Union on Black Awareness, Black Men of the Future, Ohio Wesleyan Football and Track teams, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Resident of the House of Black Culture.