John P. Leader, Esq.
John Leader is a respected, highly experienced Tucson Personal Injury Lawyer who has practiced law in Arizona since 1989. John helps his clients receive justice and compensation for their injuries and losses from negligence or other wrongdoing. He understands the challenges and difficulties you may be facing after an injury from a car or truck accident or another type of injury.
He focuses on wrongful death cases, auto accidents, truck accidents, and defective roadway cases.
A longtime Tucson resident, he graduated (with distinction) from the University of Arizona in 1985. He attended the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1988.
He is admitted to practice law in Arizona’s city, county, and state courts. In addition, John is admitted to practice law in the United States District Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Pima County Bar Association.
In law school, John had the honor of spending a semester in Washington, D.C., working on “the Hill” for then-Senator Dennis DeConcini. After law school, John landed a prestigious federal judicial court clerkship for Judge Alfredo C. Marquez in Tucson.Federal Prosecutor
In 1990, John was selected as an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he spent nine years representing the United States of America in the Criminal Division. As a federal prosecutor, John litigated approximately fifty federal jury trials in the U.S. District Court and presented over 15 oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. John has authored approximately forty Ninth Circuit Court Appellate briefs.
Wrongful Death & Personal Injury Law
In 1999, John entered private civil practice with Haralson, Miller, Pitt, and McAnally. During this time, John authored two “Amicus Curiae” Briefs, one that was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court [Norfolk Southern R. Co. v. Shanklin, 529 U.S. 344 (2000)] and another lodged with the Arizona Supreme Court [Isbell v. State, 198 Ariz. 291 (2000)].
John opened his legal practice in 2007 and continued private civil litigation on behalf of his clients at the Leader Law Firm. He has a unique combination of experience, legal expertise and personal compassion for his clients.
Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts & Settlements
In 2014, John appeared before the United States Supreme Court, a genuinely unique honor for an attorney.
In 2012, he obtained a $7.8 million wrongful death jury verdict against the State of Arizona. Per “Arizona Attorney” magazine, this was the 3rd highest civil verdict of the year.
In December 2015, John received a $47 million wrongful death jury verdict against the State of Arizona in a similar, tragic highway accident case. This judgment was the second-highest civil verdict of 2015 in Arizona, per “Arizona Attorney” magazine.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, With Distinction General Studies [emphasis in English, Spanish, and Economics], University of Arizona, Class of 1985; Dean’s List 1981-85
Juris Doctorate, The University of Arizona, Class of 1988; Member of The Arizona Law Review; Dean’s List, Spring 1988
Honors and Activities
Member, American Association for Justice, September 1999 to present
Member, Arizona Association for Justice, September 1999 to present
Board Member, Western Trial Lawyers Association
“Super Lawyer“, 2020-2022
Special Achievement Award for Sustained Superior Performance of Duty, U.S. Department of Justice, September 20, 1992
Judicial Clerk, the Honorable Alfredo C. Marquez, United States District Court Judge, United States District Court, Tucson, Arizona, March 1989-August 1990
Student Bar Association’s Board of Governors, 1987-88
Legal Internship, The Hon. Dennis DeConcini [then Senator in Washington, D.C.], Fall Semester 1987
1984 Chain Gang Award recipient, given each year to the outstanding junior at the University of Arizona regarding academics and contribution to the University
Schedule Your Free Case Evaluation
Contact the Leader Law Firm for your free, no-obligation evaluation of your case, (520) 575-9040. We will meet to discuss your potential case, answer your questions and help you make an informed decision about taking legal action.
The Leader Law Team
Maria Barr, PP, PLS
Maria is our Senior Paralegal and has been with the firm since 2017. She has extensive legal experience and works on our larger litigation cases. As a client, you probably won’t see Maria most of the time, but you can bet she is hard at work.
Outside of work, she has a passion for quilting. She spends much of her spare time creating colorful, quilted works of art!