LESLIE ANDREW RIDINGS supports all stages of litigation and represents clients across a range of industries. Leslie participated in Sidley’s Pro Bono Fellowship program, working for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), where he contributed to plaintiff-side matters focused on advocating for the rights of immigrants.
While attending law school, Leslie was staff editor of the Columbia Journal of Race and Law and served as diversity chair of the local chapter of the American Constitution Society. He was also a trial law clerk for the Federal Public Defender of the Central District of California and a student law clerk in the Immigrant’s Rights Clinic at Morningside Heights Legal Services, where he worked directly with clients helping them navigate the asylum-seeking process amongst other legal concerns.
Prior to attending law school, Leslie was an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at the Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California, where he taught classes on critical media theory, content creation, branding, and narrative storytelling. Concurrent and prior to his work as an adjunct, Leslie spent 15 years in the world of art, film, and media. An award-winning producer and director, he founded a production company focused on the creation of commercials, music videos, and feature films while centering diverse communities and their perspectives.