American League of Lobbyists

Memorial Page

Jerris Leonard

Jerris Leonard
January 17, 1931 – July 27, 2006

Jerris Leonard, Chairman of the Leonard Group, LLP, served as ALL’s Legal Counsel from 2002 through 2005. He had nearly 50 years of Washington experience, serving in both the private and public sector in the areas of government administration, finance, tort reform, and general civil and criminal law.

In 1969, Jerris was appointed by President Nixon and confirmed as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights of the United States. As a Justice Department official during President Nixon's first term, he oversaw the federal government's efforts to enforce court-ordered desegregation of Southern schools. After two high-profile years in the civil rights division, he was appointed to be the first administrator of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, which distributed millions in federal money to upgrade local police, courts and prisons and was considered to be a major weapon in the administration's law-and-order initiative.

In 1973, Jerris moved to private legal practice, where his most notable client was boxer Mohammed Ali in his law suit against the government for denying him conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War. He was also the lawyer for George H.W. Bush when he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Most recently, he served on the Bush-Cheney Transition Department of Justice Advisory Committee.

Prior to his Washington career, Jerris served 12 years in the Wisconsin State Legislature, where he became Senate Majority Leader in 1967. In 1968, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin but was defeated by incumbent Senator Gaylord Nelson.

Jerris was the recipient of many awards and honors, including ALL’s 2005 Capital Award for Outstanding Contributions to the League. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquette University Law School, where he had earned both his B.A. and J.D. degrees. He was the author of multiple articles as well as numerous pieces of legislation in Wisconsin.

Leonard was not only a highly respected lobbyist role model, but also the finest example of what a man should strive to be. Intelligent and well educated, he was also kind and considerate. He had the highest of standards, most notably in lobbying ethics, but also in his work product and in his life. He was a man who dearly loved his wife Mariellen and their six adult children, and he loved his golf. In modern vernacular, he was a man you would call “well grounded;” he knew what was important in life and lived by his principles.

A Remembrance
"As a young attorney at DOJ, I was exposed to a wise, fair, ethical and practical public servant – AAG Jerris Leonard. He provided valued leadership on civil rights at a critical time for the DOJ. In the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division, I worked on the grand juries in two cases which were among the dozens of high profile cases for which Jerris was responsible. In his Office of Legislation and Special Projects, I helped with litigation on the 18-year old voting rights case and on legislation/regulations impacting civil rights.

"Shortly after I began employment on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jerris made his first congressional appearance as the head of LEAA. Later, when I was the Associate Administrator of LEAA, he often provided invaluable advice. After my time with the Carter Administration, Jerris helped me get involved in developing DOJ policy for the incoming Reagan Adminstration.

"I will miss Jerris and his wise counsel."

John M. Rector
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
National Community Pharmacists Association