Mr.
Leiva was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Northern Virginia. Mr. Leiva
attended American University where he received a dual degree in International
Relations and Political Science. He then attended American University’s
Washington College of Law where he graduated in 1998. While at the Washington
College of Law, Mr. Leiva was a member of his law school’s moot court team
and represented his law school at several national moot court competitions. Mr.
Leiva
also
served
as President
of the Hispanic Law Student Association. Mr. Leiva, while
in law school, clerked for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division,
Criminal Section where he assisted federal prosecutor’s in the prosecution
of hate crimes.
Upon graduating from the Washington College of Law, Mr. Leiva served as an Assistant Public Defender in Fairfax County where he gained valuable trial experience. As an Assistant Public Defender, Mr. Leiva represented clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies ranging from larcenies to murder. Thereafter, Mr. Leiva left the Public Defenders office and worked as an associate with the law firm of Leffler & Hyland. In that capacity, Mr. Leiva was involved in numerous high-profile cases and represented individuals ranging from professional athletes, military officers, physicians, lawyers and law enforcement officers.
Mr. Leiva is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia. Mr. Leiva is the President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia and serves on the Virginia Bar Association's commission on Professionalism.