Leander earned a B.A. in English, African American Studies, and Women’s Studies from Wesleyan University and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law. She is Managing Partner, a member of the firm’s Management Committee, and a partner in the school law practice group at Shipman & Goodwin LLP in Hartford, Connecticut, representing public school districts, independent schools, colleges, and universities in education and employment matters.

In 2022, Leander was named by Governor Ned Lamont as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Judicial Selection Committee, and was elected to Chair the Commission, which is responsible for seeking and recommending to the governor qualified candidates for nomination as judges in Connecticut courts. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the CBIA. The Connecticut Law Tribune recognized Leander as the 2022 Attorney of the Year, a prestigious annual award given to one Connecticut lawyer who has had outstanding success and has made significant impact on Connecticut’s legal community. Leander was recently named to the Hartford Business Journal’s Power 50 List and Top 25 Women in Business. Her daughter Maya is in Walker’s Class of 2024.