Professor Leah West is counsel to Friedman Mansour LLP, where her practice focuses on national security law, terrorism and cyber security. Leah is also a Professor at the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs of Carleton University where she regularly lectures and writes on National Security Law, Counterterrorism and Cyber Operations.
Leah regularly lectures and engages with the media on her areas of research interest, and has testified before the Senate Committee on Security and Defence. She is the National Administrator of the Canadian National Rounds of the Phillip C Jessup International Law Moot. She is also a founding editor of the Intrepid Blog (intrepidpodcast.com).
Leah previously served as Counsel with the Department of Justice in the National Security Litigation and Advisory Group where she appeared before the Federal Court in designated proceedings and the Security Intelligence Review Committee. Before being called to the Ontario Bar in 2016, Leah clerked for the Honourable Justice Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada.
Prior to attending law school, Leah served in the Canadian Armed Forces for ten years as an Armoured Officer. She deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as a Junior Operations Officer where she developed the Female Engagement Strategy.
