He was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and immigrated to the United States in 1992 with his family, graduating from law school in 2000. Prior to attaining his law degree, Leonard has been employed as a Russian Outreach Coordinator for Hillel of New York, organizing Jewish life at City and Hunter Colleges. Leonard has been active in Jewish community as well as community at large, serving as pro bono counsel for various community organizations. He is a past member of Brooklyn Community Board 13 and member of the Advisory Board and Chair of the Committee on Litigation of the Russian American Bar Association. He resides in Merrick, New York with his wife and daughter.