Leon joined Saunders as a Paralegal in the Public Inquiries team, in January 2023. He has been assisting the team on the Covid-19 Inquiry, Infected Blood Inquiry and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Civil claims, as well as admin-related tasks for other Claims Against Public Authorities.
Prior to joining Saunders, Leon volunteered and was subsequently hired by UNJUST, a not-for-profit organization specializing in challenging discriminatory culture, policies, and practices within policing and the Criminal Legal System. As a Project Support Lead, Leon was involved in running various campaigns and social justice projects, as well as conducting research and managing social media. Leon also coordinated “community testimony days”, for members of the community to share their thoughts and experiences of issues such as the impact of Covid-19 policing of Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic communities, and the Police’s use of Tasers.
Leon’s research into targeted policing tactics such as Stop and Search, Section 60, and the Gangs Matrix, looked particularly at the impact these practices have on the everyday lives of young men and women from minority communities. This research supported UNJUST in the landmark legal case, which successfully challenged the Met Police’s discriminatory “Gangs Matrix” database, forcing them to acknowledge the “unacceptably high rate” of racial disproportionality. Leon also worked on the comms. team of the “End Strip Search” campaign, in response to the unlawful strip search of “Child Q” by the Met Police in a school in East London, in December 2020.
In July 2022, Leon graduated from the University of York with a degree in Criminology where his dissertation examined “Why a Public Health approach to Youth Violence must address, it’s links to inequality”. Leon is passionate about addressing inequality within various aspects of society, but particularly keen on addressing the ways in which our Justice System, Education system and policing practices continue to further marginalize some of our most disadvantaged youth.