Speaker Biography Debbie Leonard

Leonard Law PC

Debbie Leonard is president of Leonard Law, PC, where her practice focuses on civil appeals, water and land disputes, and mediation.  She regularly briefs and argues cases before the Nevada Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and in appeals before Nevada’s District Courts from administrative agency decisions. Prior to starting Leonard Law, Ms. Leonard was a partner with McDonald Carano LLP, in Reno, NV, chairing its appellate practice group. Ms. Leonard is the Lead Editor of the Nevada Appellate Practice Manual (2016, 2018 and 2021 editions). She is also a regular contributing writer of the Appellate Briefs column for The Writ, the publication of the Washoe County Bar Association, where she discusses appellate practice and Nevada Supreme Court decisions. In 2013-2014, Ms. Leonard chaired the State Bar of Nevada’s Appellate Litigation Section. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable David W. Hagen in the United States District Court, District of Nevada. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She has a master’s degree in education from the University of California, Santa Cruz and graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She also taught science at the secondary and college levels.